You don’t have to look further than the recent Super Bowl week to see how much flag football continues to grow. The NFL Pro Bowl is highlighted by a flag football game. The sport will make its debut in the Olympics two years from now in Los Angeles. The first-ever tournament featuring Division I colleges will take place this spring.
Makena Cook is now part of the sport’s expansion.
Flag football’s rapid rise is clear and only gaining steam. It is most evident at the high school level with 17 states having sanctioned girls flag football. Louisiana will be the next state to do so in 2027. Ohio will have its first season this spring.
California has been one of the pioneers of the sport and features many of the most successful teams. Orange Lutheran (Orange, Calif.) has been at the forefront since California sanctioned the sport in 2023. Cook was named the first CIF Southern Section Division I Player of the Year after the 2024 season with the Lancers.
She became the first player to be offered a scholarship by a Power Four program last month. Matt Rhule, the head coach of the Nebraska’s tackle football team, delivered the news to the junior quarterback.
It was a historic first in the sport that continues its rapid growth across the country.
“I’ve been filled with so many emotions, but gratitude and humility stand out the most,” Cook told TeamFB7. “I know this offer is much bigger than me. There are so many talented female flag players, so knowing there is a clear path to receiving a scholarship to play in college is truly incredible. The fact that I can play even a small part in that is extremely humbling.”
Cook Has Emerged As A Top High School Flag Football Player
It will not be the last scholarship to make its way to a high school flag football player, but it was an important step in the sport’s history. It doesn’t take much of a deep dive into the stats to understand why Cook was on the receiving end of such a historic decision.
She helped lead Orange Lutheran to a CIF-SS title in 2024 and a runner-up spot in 2025. The 2027 recruit, who is committed to play soccer at Georgia, has passed for 13,694 yards and 209 touchdowns through two seasons.
The eye-popping numbers certainly hold a lot of weight facilitating the offer from Nebraska. Cook admits that she is still unsure what will come of the offer moving forward, but the significance of the moment is not lost on her.
“Flag football has become incredibly special in my life, so much so that it’s hard to put into words,” she said. “I’ve met amazing people through this game, including coaches, teammates, competitors from all over the world, and mentors. It has pushed me to be a better person, competitor and teammate, and it has truly opened so many doors for me. I just want to continue doing my part to grow the sport, just as so many women before me have done.”
Power Four Offer Signals “A Really Promising Sign” For Flag Football
Kristen Sherman has been Cook’s coach at Orange Lutheran. She views the offer as a jumping off point for other players with aspirations of playing the game at the next level.
“I think it’s just a really promising sign for all the girls everywhere that are playing and loving flag football, but have been a little nervous to go all in on it because it wasn’t a quote-unquote scholarship sport at a high level,” Sherman said. “This just signals to the girls this is continuing to grow, continuing to be recognized, and now there’s a path for you. And, this is a path to go to college, and this is a path to eventually the professional game that the NFL is looking to back.
“To see the growth in it has been really amazing and unbelievable. And, I’m so excited for the girls that are going to get to benefit from this.”
Nebraska expects to to have its inaugural season in 2028. The next step is to hire a head coach, which it hopes to do by the spring, and begin building a team. The Cornhuskers say they hope to have close to 15 players for their roster by this fall.
The Future Of College Flag Football Scholarships
While the offer is symbolic of the sport’s growth, it is one that all parties involved view as very real. Nebraska plans to have 25 scholarships available by 2028. It anticipates having 15 available by the fall with that number growing to 20 in 2027.
“It’s just a signal, really, of what’s to come,” Sherman said. “And then I think a signal of Nebraska’s investment into the sport of flag football, and them signaling how serious they are about it. I’m sure it’s a committable offer. I have no reason to believe that it isn’t. … We’re a little ways out before we have to determine where she (Cook) wants to go with that. But I think really more than anything, it’s a signal of how serious Nebraska is about women’s flag football. That it’s here to stay for them, and that they want people to know that they’re taking it very seriously.”
Flag football is exploding at the collegiate level with more schools pushing the game forward with added support. The NCAA added flag football to its Emerging Sports For Women program paving the way for it to eventually become a championship sport.
There is more work to be done in that regard. A division must have 40 programs supporting a sport at the varsity level to be considered for championship status. The belief is that will take place in the coming years.
Cook’s recent offer is a key milestone in that process as the game continues its rapid growth.
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