Nebraska Adding Varsity Women's Flag Football
The University of Nebraska is adding a varsity women's flag football team, becoming the first team from the "Power Four" conferences to add the sport. The varsity squad will take the field for the first time in the 2027-28 academic year. Nebraska's announcement comes on the same day that the NCAA finalized the addition of flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program.
Nebraska is planning to hire a coach by July 2026, with an assistant coach to be hired a short time after. Nebraska will offer 15 varsity scholarships in the 2026-27 academic year, 20 in 2027-28, and 25 in 2028-29. Nebraska will explore playing in some competitions for the 2027 spring season.
The addition of flag football was hinted at in May 2025. Nebraska hosted Midland University (NE) in the Husker Games to showcase the sport, and a former men's football player penned a letter about the sport in June. The NCAA's decision to formally add the sport to the Emerging Sports for Women program was the final push needed for one of the Power 4 members to add the sport. The Power 4 conferences consist of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big 12 Conference, Big Ten Conference, and the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
Nebraska is a member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference, which already has club teams at five other institutions. Both UCLA and USC confirmed the addition of club teams in December, while Penn State University, Rutgers University (NJ), and the University of Maryland already had teams established.
Nebraska is the 10th NCAA D-I school to add a varsity flag football team. Alabama State University, Cal Poly (CA), Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ), Long Island University (NY), Mercyhurst University (PA), Mount St. Mary's University (MD), Mississippi Valley State University, the University of North Alabama, and the University of Texas at Arlington previously announced women's flag football. There are also roughly 50 D-I schools that offer club flag football programs.
Now that women's flag football has a pathway to becoming an NCAA Championship sport, more announcements are expected. The NFL is looking to start a professional flag football league in the run-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the sport makes its Olympic debut.