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Helium shortage pops Nebraska football’s red balloons tradition

The University of Nebraska is ending its tradition of fans releasing red balloons at football games, citing a global helium shortage amid rampant inflation.

Athletic director Trev Alberts announced on his monthly radio show that the university will no longer provide the balloons for fans to release after the first Cornhuskers touchdown at home football games, KMTV Omaha reported Monday. The tradition dates back to the 1960s.

“As we looked into it as an athletic department, it became pretty clear that there’s a very limited supply of helium and [it] was going to be hard to get,” Mr.