The hottest tailgate spot in and around Baylor's Floyd Casey Stadium was a corner about a mile away where North Texas Nebraskans threw a party for more than 100 soldiers and airmen from nearby Ft. Hood, who were provided with free tickets, food and transportation to and from the game.

Here's a video of some of the early activity...enjoy!

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If you've already read the Big Red Troops story and want to share your own story - or just say thanks! - here's the place to do it! Thanks, NTN, for all of your great generosity in helping the Husker troops!

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Forget, for a minute, touchdowns, quarterback debates and even the extraordinary play of Ndamukong Suh. Here's one of the best stories of Nebraska's 2009 football season. One that cuts through the games, the controversies, the media, the penalties, the polls and the nonsense to get right to the communal spirit of this thing we call Husker Nation.

It's July, and one of NU's biggest alumni chapters, North Texas Nebraskans, comes up with an idea: Honor and reward troops from Nebraska by getting them a ticket to the NU-Baylor game this Saturday. By August, the chapter had decided to draw those troops from a pool of 53,000 soldiers and airmen at Ft. Hood, 60 miles from Waco, in Killeen, Texas. The base is one of America's primary suppliers of troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We thought it'd be a great tribute for everything they do for us,” said Jill Simpson, NTN president.

NTN contacted Ft. Hood's Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation office shortly after that. Public relations coordinator Monty Campbell put out the word to the base. More than 100 soldiers and airmen put their names in.

“They responded very favorably,” Campbell said. “Anytime they can go any event they love it. They're very appreciative of what North Texas Nebraskans are doing for them.”

Baylor had the tickets available. NTN had to raise the money.

Guess how long it took them?

“We put the vibe out there to do the fundraising and we literally raised our money in two weeks,” Simpson said. “We have far exceeded what we needed.”

Two weeks. NTN passed around hats at its three giant watch parties in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area and raised $3,000. Two Husker fans collected $1,100 at Sidetracks Bar in Lincoln the Friday night before a home game. Two NTN members headed to Virginia Tech and raised money there. A few individuals gave $1,000. That's 20 free tickets per donation.

“It just ballooned,” Simpson said. “We weren't even sure we were going to get people to donate, and we have had donations from across the nation.”

More than the donations, Simpson said, were the emails and letters her group received. Even after they shut off the donation, more came pouring in. More queries. More offers to help.

So NTN raised even more cash to pay for the troops' transportation to and from Ft. Hood and a tailgate party with food and T-shirts. Baylor will recognize the troops during the game and furnish a soda and popcorn. Simpson said at least 400 people will be in attendance at the tailgate party.

“That's the absolute minimum,” Simpson said. “We're expecting a lot more...(the soldiers and airmen) would have been thrilled with just the tickets.

“I had no idea that we would get this response. It's an awesome feeling knowing we're gonna take 100 soldiers to the game on Saturday and they're going to have something else to do for four or five hours.”

NTN plans on making a habit out of it. Next year: Texas A&M. After that, Texas.

It can be easy, in the fog of message boards and raucous student sections, to lose track of stories like these. But this story – much like our 50 Husker Fans, 50 States series – hints at the larger culture borne out of Husker football Saturdays. Name another fan base doing this. Not a university – a fan base. What NTN is doing – what other alumni groups will do, if they follow this example – is bloom beyond the game into something more: A communal character.

Tack a story like this onto the 300th sellout as another small, good reminder of who the program's backbone really is.

Check out our North Texas Nebraskans group! Join and tell them thanks!

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