Nebraska's newest sport hits fast forward and will begin play earlier than expected

Having already put together a top-notch coaching staff and a talented young roster, the Nebraska women’s flag football team will begin its historic run earlier than expected. In the process, the Huskers are getting yet another jump on potential rivals.

Talk about Nebraska moving up its women’s flag football inaugural season from 2028 to 2027 began earlier this summer. On Monday morning, the university made it official. Nebraska announced the addition of flag football as a varsity sport last January, and the program’s first season was originally scheduled for the spring of 2028.

Nebraska women’s flag football becomes the first Power 4 program to compete

“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 release announcing the scheduling change. “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.”

Not long after the Huskers announced the formation of the flag football team, the university hired five-time national champion coach Liz Sowers. In addition to her success with Ottawa University in Kansas, she honed her skills working with the coaching staffs on the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, and Atlanta Falcons. Liz brought her twin sister Katie to the Huskers and named her associate head coach.

Since Dannen hired the pair to lead the flag football program, they’ve worked hard to bring in some of the best talent out there. Their Nebraska roster now consists of 16 players, including 11 transfers and five freshmen, and includes players from seven states:

• Kyendra Thomas — Defensive Back/Wide Receiver
• Marley Spielberg — Wide Receiver/Center/Defensive Back
• Rylen Bourguet — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back/Quarterback
• London Jenkins — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
• Emmi Merhi — Wide Receiver
• Nichelle Brown — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
• Nyla Gigger — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
• Ariana Akey — Quarterback
• Nia Ennis — Defensive Back/Wide Receiver
• Anna Anderson — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
• Jaylani Palmer — Defensive Back/Wide Receiver
• Jaida Bayron — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back/Quarterback
• Kailey Verhoeven — Quarterback/Wide Receiver
• Saylor Swanson — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back/Quarterback
• Zoe Silva — Wide Receiver/Defensive Back
• Sara Walker — Wide Receiver

When Dannen announced the Nebraska flag football team, the program became the first of its kind at the Power 4 level. With the Big Ten not yet participating in this sport, who will be on the schedule when the university unveils it later this fall remains an interesting question.

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