He's not a rich guy. And he already had tickets for the game Saturday.

But Tad McDowell II couldn't pass up the chance to win the Pittsburgh Panthers Ultimate Fan Experience.

"Bring a guest down to the field to watch the Panthers warm up as they get set to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. …

"(J)oin the captains at midfield as you participate in the official coin toss."

McDowell ponied up $1,181,  the highest bid on the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department's online auction.

He's the Ultimate Fan all right.

There's just one problem: He's the ultimate Husker fan.

And now the Pittsburgh Panthers have taken a pass on his bid.

"They told me (I) was not going to be able to wear red out there for the coin toss."

Numerous phone messages by the Lincoln Journal Star to McDowell's contact at the  Team Pittsburgh office were not returned.

According to McDowell it all started earlier this week after the 26-year-old Lincoln High graduate, who lives in Virginia, found out his bid had topped all others.

Awesome!

Not only would he be on the sidelines watching Joe Dailey toss the pigskin pregame, he'd be relaxing later in his leather club-level seats, sipping from the complementary beverage service and snacking from the "enhanced food" service.

He'd wear his best Husker-red T-shirt and his tall red cowboy hat, one of the foam numbers favored by only the most rabid Husker fans.

He'd walk onto Bermuda grass with the blue and gold captains for the game-opening coin toss in front of thousands at Heinz field and thousands more watching on TV.

Sorry, sir, the Panthers' people told him. You can't do that.

You can't wear your red.

You're welcome to be our Ultimate Fan in some other garb.

Uh-uh, said the man who wears corncob hats to sports bars in Virginia.

So McDowell contacted the University of Nebraska Athletic Department, hoping to strike a compromise. His idea: Accompany the Cornhusker captains onto the field instead.

No dice, said Paul Meyers, assistant athletic director for development. Allowing fans to accompany Nebraska's captains onto the field is not allowed. Never has been.

As far as Meyers is concerned, this is all between McDowell and the Panthers.

 McDowell has his 1,181 bucks back. The Pittsburgh people were very nice about it, he said.

He kept his old tickets, so he's still going to the game.

He'll be cheering the Huskers. He might even wear his red hat.

He's pretty steamed at the Big Red for not making an exception.

But is he still the Ultimate Fan?

"Of course."

Reach Cindy Lange-Kubick at 473-7218 or clangekubick@journalstar.com.