Huskers Preparing for Sportsmanship Pep Rally

The Nebraska women's basketball team will tip off its 2025-26 regular-season schedule by taking on Northwestern State at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Monday, Nov. 3.

The game between the Huskers and the Lady Demons is expected to tip off at Noon following the annual Nebraska Sizemore Sportsmanship Pep Rally at Pinnacle Bank Arena earlier in the day.

Last season, the pep rally welcomed more than 3,800 students and accompanying adults from 75 middle grades schools from across the state of Nebraska, which helped the Huskers attract the second-largest opening-day crowd in program history with 8,106 fans at PBA, trailing only the 9,750 fans on hand for the opening game in the history of the building against UCLA in 2013.

The event, which is co-sponsored by the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame, features positive messages from Husker student-athletes and coaches aimed at promoting the importance of education, sportsmanship, character development, teamwork and responsible decision-making. This year’s Pep Rally will mark the seventh time since 2013 (also 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) the event has been paired with Nebraska’s season-opening women’s basketball game.

The Nebraska Sizemore Sportsmanship Pep Rally, which is focused on 4th through 8th grade students across the state of Nebraska, not only includes inspiring messages from current and former Nebraska student-athletes and staff members, it also includes complimentary pizza from Nebraska Athletics thanks to a generous donation from the Sizemore family, and bottled water provided by Pepsi for students and accompanying school staff members.

The 2025 Pep Rally is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at approximately 10:45 a.m., prior to Nebraska and Northwestern State taking the court for pregame warm-ups ahead of their noon tip-off.

For more information or to register your school for the 2025 Sizemore Sportsmanship Pep Rally, contact Katie Archer at karcher@huskers.com.

Nebraska Sportsmanship Pep Rallies at Women's Basketball
2025 - vs. Northwestern State (Monday, Nov. 3, - Rally - 9:30 a.m. / Game - Noon)
2024 - 8,106 (attendance) / 3,800 (students/staff - 75 schools) vs. Omaha
2023 - 7,065 (attendance) / 3,300 (students/staff - 62 schools) vs. Northwestern State
2022 - 6,233 (attendance) / 2,500 (students/staff - 40 schools) vs. Omaha
2021 - 4,476 (attendance) / 1,600 (students/staff - 30 schools) vs. Maine
2019 - 5,250 (attendance) / 2,000 (students/staff - 27 schools) vs. Alabama A&M
2013 - 9,750 (attendance) / 4,000 (students/staff - 45 schools) vs. UCLA