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Throughout the spring semester, a series of sidewalks on the east side of campus have been closed off for passersby. Recent updates from the construction team revealed a network of underground tunnels has been discovered running underneath UNK grounds. 

The tunnels sit four stories below ground level and were found by accident during a construction project. 

“It certainly was an unexpected discovery,” said Danny Dean, the project manager. 

UNK hired Digging4Gold Underground Services to complete sewage assessments on various problematic areas of campus. During an evaluation, it was discovered that the sewage line running between the Calvin T. Ryan Library and the Memorial Student Affairs Building needed to be replaced.

Dean said they planned on placing the line further down the ground to prevent future damage. While excavating deeper into the ground, the crew hit concrete. 

Upon further investigation, the concrete was discovered to be the roof of a tunnel.

“I had no idea these existed,” said Icheal Mcremers, UNK director of facilities. “We’ve never had to do anything that far below ground during my time in Kearney.”

Digging4Gold was instructed by UNK officials to continue with the replacement of the sewage line. The underground service company has been exploring the range of these tunnels as they continue their sewage assessments throughout campus. 

Following the discovery, Mcremers contacted Aurinda Weissel, the UNK archivist and digital repository manager. The Archives and Special Collections department is located on the second floor of the Calvin T. Ryan Library and handles all materials related to the institution’s history dating back to 1905, when the school’s first classes were held. 

The archives revealed that the tunnels were used to transport the University’s live mascots around campus. In the early 1900s, pronghorn antelopes – later shortened to Lopers – were featured at the University’s events, including pep rallies, the homecoming parade and football games.

The reasoning for why the antelopes were transported underground is up for speculation. Weissel said the only information about the tunnels in the archives confirmed their existence and their use for transporting the live mascots. 

“There was just a sentence or two about the tunnels in our archival data, which explains how they escaped notice for so long,” Weissel said. “This history of the tunnels is hidden deep within our university’s history. It took over a dozen reads of our earliest documents by several individuals to find anything about them.”

Louie the Loper was delighted to learn more about his ancestry.

“I hope I get access to these tunnels,” Louie said. “It sure would make getting from Cope Stadium to the Health and Sports Center a lot easier. With the ability to go underground and cool off, I might even attend a soccer game.”

Dean says that the tunnels have been found to extend across at least 333 acres of the 515-acre campus. 

“This is a kind of project we’ve never dealt with before,” Dean said. “We’re excited to see how far this network reaches. Who knows? Maybe the tunnels spread throughout the city?”

Mcremers said the University’s administration has no plans to destroy the tunnels nor revive them for use at this point. 

DISCLAIMER: This story is a part of our annual April Fools’ issue, this story is not real. Happy April Fools’ Day!