Husker flag football’s inaugural season to kick off this spring

Husker Athletics announced Monday that the Nebraska women’s flag football team will play its inaugural season next spring, a year sooner than expected.

Flag football was announced as a varsity sport in January, and the program’s first season was originally scheduled for the spring of 2028. The program will now launch a year earlier than anticipated.

“Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and we are excited that our student-athletes will get to participate in this fast-paced sport one year earlier than previously planned,” Nebraska Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said in a press release. “Our coaches have done an outstanding job assembling a talented roster and with the recent change in NCAA rules granting student-athletes five years of eligibility, we determined that we were prepared to play in 2027.”

Women’s flag football is the university’s 25th varsity sport and its 14th women's sport.

Five-time national champion coach Liz Sowers was announced as the program’s first head coach in February, and she will be joined by her twin sister Katie, the Huskers’ associate head coach.

The 2027 Nebraska flag football roster consists of 16 players, including 11 transfers and five freshmen. The roster includes players from seven states.

“When we arrived at Nebraska, we couldn’t wait to get started, so we are thrilled to bring flag football to Husker fans this spring,” Liz Sowers said. “We are excited about the roster we have built over the last few months, and we are excited for Husker Nation to watch our team. We are blessed with a beautiful facility, amazing resources and we can’t wait to represent the N in front of the greatest fans in the country.”

The Huskers’ 2027 schedule will be announced later this fall. Nebraska will play its home games at Barbara Hibner Stadium, also the home of Nebraska Soccer.