From The Bugmunch, August 24, 1904
NEBRASKA UNIVERSITY SET TO DEBUT NEW UNIFORMS.

(Lincoln, Neb.)  The Old Gold Knights voted to change their name and uniform colors today.  The new name will be "Cornhuskers," which was stolen from the University of Iowa. 

The old black and gold will be cast aside for scarlet and cream. Scarlet and cream is a fancy city-slicker way to say "red and white."  While the team applauded the new attitude, fans were not crazy about the idea.

Joe "Dusty" Coverall, a fan from Box Butte, was not receptive to the change: "I've been a fan of the Knights for five years, and they've always worn black and gold.  A knight is something you can rally behind, something you can be proud of.  Why, my father was a Knight, as was my grandfather. What the heck is a 'Cornhusker' anyway?  It's an action, not an object. Why not name the team 'Bug Eaters' or 'Animal Husbanders?'"

"I'll miss the old mascot," said student Bazel J. Dustbowl, "the girls over at Drake always thought we were from England."  The mistake was common when traveling outside of Lincoln.  In fact, an 1898 game in Lawrence, Kansas was interrupted when a group of Minutemen attacked with pitchforks and muzzleloaders.  Upon hearing the Knights were in town, civic-minded locals quickly organized a militia, thinking the Redcoats had returned to collect unpaid tea taxes. The mayor of Lawrence has since apologized, vowing to send each of the victim's families enough wheat to last through the winter.

When asked why the change was necessary, Equipment Manager and Director of Admissions Horatio E. Buttermilk explained that promotion was sometimes necessary to put fans in the seats.  Attendance for home games had dipped 360 to a 10-year low of 6200 last year. The new look appears to have turned things around.  "Merchandise sales are through the roof," he said, noting that red yarn has been in short supply as local boarding house matrons rush to knit red sweaters for their students.

Alumni Association Director Ben "Chuggy" LaGrange (Class of 1890) filed an official complaint with the University.  "You don't throw away twelve years of tradition like that," he said, "once you make a decision, you stick with it. Even if you hate it, you stick with it.  Would the Stanford Indians be the same without their mascot running around shooting everybody with imaginary arrows?"  The University President wrote Ben back, thanking him for the letter, and suggesting he join an alumni group in order to have a larger voice in university decisions.

The new uniforms will debut on Sept. 24th as the Corn will host Grand Island. No doubt this contest will touch off a heated rivalry that will last for many years to come. The 1904 season is a doozy this year, featuring hot teams like Lincoln High School, Grinnell, Knox, and the Lincoln Medics.  For ticket information you can Western Union the University or buy tickets at the box office on game days.