Central Community College is pioneering new athletic programs in Nebraska. It’s set to become the first two-year college in the state to introduce women’s flag football, while also venturing into women’s beach volleyball, marking significant expansions in its athletic offerings.
The college’s Columbus campus will be home to the new beach volleyball team, with seasoned indoor volleyball coach Bree Spenner leading the charge. Recruitment for the team is actively in progress, aiming for a debut by the spring of 2027. Meanwhile, the Hastings campus will host the women’s flag football program. Although the search for a coach is still underway, Athletic Director Mary Young anticipates the program could also kick off in spring 2027.
Young highlighted the dual benefits of these new programs, stating, “We’re always looking for ways to increase our enrollment but also increase our engagement on our college campuses, and athletics is a great way to do that.” She emphasized the growing popularity of flag football, describing it as “an up-and-coming sport, it’s emerging.” The team is expected to comprise 15 to 20 athletes.
In beach volleyball, some athletes will be transitioning from indoor volleyball, with others specializing solely in the beach format. Central CC is not alone in Nebraska in launching a women’s flag football team; the Nebraska Athletic Department made a similar announcement earlier this year.
The geographic advantage of Hastings being close to Kansas, where many schools already offer women’s flag football, will aid in scheduling games. Currently, 16 junior and community colleges participate in flag football, but Young forecasts this number will soon rise significantly. She remarked, “Flag is one of those sports that really has a presence in the state of Colorado and in Missouri and in some of our surrounding states, and I think it’s just a matter of time before we see that at some of our youth sports.”
Central Community College is a part of the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference. According to a school newsletter, this conference has a history with beach volleyball, and now women’s flag football is on the path to achieving emerging status.
