New Eight Man-3 Football Final to be Held at UNK

NSAA avoids disrupting Memorial Stadium schedule with new class championship game

Apr. 9, 2026 at 10:35pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a high school football game, with the players, field, and stadium broken down into abstract shapes and planes of color, representing the NSAA's decision to move the Eight Man-3 championship to a different venue.The NSAA's decision to host the new Eight Man-3 football championship at UNK's stadium preserves the traditional schedule at the iconic Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.Lincoln Today

The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) has announced that the championship game for the new Eight Man-3 football class will be held at the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) stadium in 2026, rather than at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. This decision allows the NSAA to avoid disrupting the existing schedule of games played at Memorial Stadium.

Why it matters

The addition of the Eight Man-3 class is a significant change to the high school football landscape in Nebraska. By hosting the championship game at UNK, the NSAA is able to accommodate this new class without impacting the traditional schedule and events at Memorial Stadium, which hosts many of the state's most prominent high school football games.

The details

The Eight Man-3 class is the newest addition to Nebraska's high school football system, created to provide more competitive opportunities for smaller schools. The championship game for this class will now be played at UNK's stadium in Kearney, rather than the larger Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, which hosts the championship games for the state's other high school football classes.

  • The Eight Man-3 championship game will be held at UNK in 2026.

The players

Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA)

The organization that oversees high school sports, including football, in the state of Nebraska.

University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK)

The host venue for the new Eight Man-3 high school football championship game.

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The takeaway

The NSAA's decision to host the Eight Man-3 championship game at UNK demonstrates their commitment to accommodating the growth of high school football in Nebraska without disrupting the established traditions and events at Memorial Stadium.