Nebraska Athletics Boosts Husker Scholarship Offerings

Increase in scholarships is a result of Congressional settlement passed last summer.

Published on Feb. 4, 2026

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Nebraska Athletics is planning to offer dozens of new scholarships over the next three academic years, with nearly 80 new scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year, more than 30 added the following year, and more than 40 in the third year. This increase in scholarship offerings is an after-effect of the Congressional settlement passed last summer, which removes NCAA scholarship limits and establishes roster limits for each sport.

Why it matters

The decision to significantly increase the number of scholarships reaffirms Nebraska's commitment to supporting student-athletes in their education and pursuit of a college degree. It also helps the Huskers' teams compete at a high level by providing more resources for recruiting and retaining top talent.

The details

Under the new model, schools have the option to offer partial or full scholarships to every student-athlete on a team's roster, provided the number of student-athletes stays within the sport's specific roster limit. In the 2026-27 academic year, Nebraska will award 48 new scholarships for women and 30 new scholarships for men, bringing the total to 360 scholarships available to student-athletes. The university also plans to add 32 more scholarships in 2027-28 and 41 new scholarships in 2028-29.

  • The Congressional settlement was passed last summer.
  • The 48 new women's scholarships and 30 new men's scholarships will be awarded in the 2026-27 academic year.
  • An additional 32 scholarships (17 for women, 15 for men) will be added in 2027-28.
  • 41 new scholarships (31 for women, 10 for men) will be added in 2028-29.

The players

Troy Dannen

Nebraska Athletic Director.

Kristen Brown

Nebraska's deputy AD and senior woman administrator.

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What they’re saying

“The decision to significantly increase our number of scholarships reaffirms Nebraska's commitment to the student-athlete. This will not only help each of our teams compete at a high level, but it will also better support many student-athletes in their education and pursuit of a college degree.”

— Troy Dannen, Nebraska Athletic Director (1011now.com)

“Nebraska is proud of its history as a leader in women's athletics. The opportunity to provide all Husker female student-athletes with scholarships is the latest example of that commitment. We are pleased that the addition of these scholarships, along with the addition of Women's Flag Football, will help Nebraska achieve our long-standing goal of Title IX proportionality.”

— Kristen Brown, Nebraska's deputy AD and senior woman administrator (1011now.com)

What’s next

The additional scholarship allocations will be implemented over the next three academic years, with the largest increase coming in the 2026-27 school year.

The takeaway

This significant increase in scholarship offerings demonstrates Nebraska's strong commitment to supporting its student-athletes, both in their athletic pursuits and in their academic and personal development. It also reflects the university's ongoing efforts to achieve gender equity in its sports programs.