Every Nebraska Team Chasing a Bid at March’s NLQ
We’re going back to the Twin Cities! Just like January’s edition of the Northern Lights Qualifier, I’ll be checking into the Minneapolis Convention Center this Saturday and Sunday as 15s and 16s teams chase a bid at this illustrious event.…
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Continue ReadingWe’re going back to the Twin Cities!
Just like January’s edition of the Northern Lights Qualifier, I’ll be checking into the Minneapolis Convention Center this Saturday and Sunday as 15s and 16s teams chase a bid at this illustrious event. This is always a huge venue for my local Nebraska squads, and there’s no way I could pass this one up.
To demonstrate how much Great Plains representation is flocking to Minneapolis, I’ve put together a division-by-division breakdown of every Nebraska club team competing at NLQ this weekend. It’s a chance for readers to check out some of their local competitors, but it also helps me organize my own thoughts and plans before I hit the road. It’s a win-win!
Let’s see who punches that ticket to Chicago.
16 Open
Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy
Premier Nebraska 16 Gold
Nebraska Elite 16 Maverick
VCNebraska 16 Elite
Nebraska Juniors 16 Black
The whole Great Plains cavalry is coming in pursuit of a 16 Open bid. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Our first big storyline here is whether Nebraska ONE 16 Synergy can replicate its bid-earning triumph from a year ago. That NLQ weekend showed much of the grit and resilience we’ve come to expect from 16 Synergy, as the team bounced back from a tough loss in the Gold pool finale to win its way to a bid and a third-place finish.
I see teams in this group with a lot to prove. Nebraska Elite 16 Maverick will want to let everyone know that last year’s 15 Open bid run at Show Me was no fluke. Meanwhile, Premier Nebraska 16 Gold ought to come out with a vengeance after narrowly missing an Open bid of its own last season. Don’t overlook hard-charging squads like VCNebraska 16 Elite and Nebraska Juniors 16 Black, either.
16 USA
Premier Nebraska 16 Black
Nebraska Elite 16 Koa
VCNebraska 16 Black
Nebraska Juniors 16 Red
The depth of Nebraska’s 16s talent is shown through some significant representation in 16 USA–alongside the big list of teams we just mentioned in Open.
Premier Nebraska, Nebraska Elite, VCNebraska, and Nebraska Juniors are all backing up their Open entrants with a team in USA. This will be an excellent venue for us to check out some under-the-radar 2025s who could be potential stock risers for our next rankings release. Moreover, I wouldn’t rule out a meeting between two of these Great Plains competitors when we reach bracket play. We’ve seen it happen before, and few scenes are more dramatic than that.
16 Liberty
Banzai VBC 16 Select
Premier Nebraska 16 Red
16 Liberty might not have the same Great Plains quantity as the other divisions, but this is a pair you’ll need to keep an eye on.
Premier Nebraska 16 Red has been a fascinating team to follow in early-season action with several new additions playing key roles. That adaptability and cohesiveness are about to be tested against some of the Midwest’s top competitors in the Liberty division.
At the same time, Banzai VBC 16 Select is carving out its own path as a dark horse team in 16 Liberty. Optimism has been on the rise since the team’s great showing at last month’s Presidents’ Day Classic, and now it’s time to take that momentum to the big stage.
16 American
Nebraska Elite 16 Vision
Premier Nebraska 16 Silver
ENVY 16
Nebraska ONE 16 Grey
What a group we have here.
Nebraska Elite and Premier Nebraska are back again in 16 American. We know that these two clubs have always had outstanding depth, and that talent pool will be on display once again as 16 Vision and 16 Silver take the floor. I wouldn’t be surprised if either of these teams makes a run toward bracket play.
Nebraska ONE also gets a second 16s representative with 16 Grey joining the fray. This is a team that I have circled for my scouting radar, so we’ll see what can be learned from this weekend’s action.
Finally, it’s the new club on the block. Welcome, ENVY. This is Nebraska’s most recent addition to the club scene, with ENVY opening up for its first year of action. The Omaha-area group is dipping into the crucible of qualifiers with a trip to NLQ, and I can’t wait to get my first look at this emerging 16s squad.
15 Open
Nebraska Elite 15 Phoenix
Premier Nebraska 15 Gold
VCNebraska 15 Elite
Nebraska Juniors 15 Black
15 Open is bound to be wild, and a familiar Great Plains quartet is joining the party.
You can count on at least one of these teams turning heads in Minneapolis. We’ve seen how Premier Nebraska 15 Gold can get on a hot streak at big events, including Triple Crown NIT in Kansas City. Likewise, Nebraska Elite’s top 15s group has the talent to catch fire at any moment. These two will be under a microscope this weekend.
But don’t forget about VCNebraska 15 Elite and Nebraska Juniors 15 Black. I was impressed with both of these groups when making assessments for our 2026 rankings, and NLQ will contribute to that scouting report even more.
15 USA
Premier Nebraska 15 Black
Nebraska Elite 15 Prime
VCNebraska 15 Black
Nebraska Juniors 15 Red
All the 15 Open clubs are back for 15 USA. Consistency.
It’s fitting we just mentioned the 2026 rankings because a lot of this week’s additions to that list came from these four teams. We’re still not closing the book on this group, however, as there are still names to add and observations to be had. That’ll be our big focus in 15 USA as this stacked group vies for a coveted bid.
15 Liberty
Premier Nebraska 15 Red
Nebraska ONE 15 Black
Club Legacy 15 Alpha
Banzai VBC 15 Select
15 Liberty brings so many emerging athletes into the mix.
Nebraska ONE 15 Black is a team that immediately sticks out here. We’ve already had a brief look at 15 Black’s medley of small-town standouts and Lincoln-area gems, but this weekend’s tournament will capture our attention even more. Let’s see what’s next in the Nebraska ONE pipeline.
Club Legacy 15 Alpha is another intriguing bunch in 15 Liberty, especially given 17 Alpha’s success at NLQ back in January. Maybe we’ll see more of the same for the 15s.
With so much parity at the 15s level, any one of these four could emerge victorious. So, keep an eye on Premier Nebraska 15 Red and Banzai VBC 15 Select as they make their own mark in Minneapolis.
15 American
Premier Nebraska 15 Silver
Nebraska ONE 15 Grey
Nebraska Elite 15 Extreme
Banzai VBC 151
Club Legacy 15 Bravo
Banzai VBC 152
Club Legacy 15 Charlie
How about we wrap up with the biggest group of all?
The 15 American division at NLQ is loaded up with 110 teams, and seven of those will be repping the Great Plains Region. Moreover, we have a duo of Club Legacy entries in this division. Anticipate some fun storylines when 15 Bravo and 15 Charlie spar for a Nationals bid.
Banzai VBC also adds two more teams to the NLQ field on top of the 15 Select group we just mentioned in 15 Liberty. 151 and 152 help demonstrate the growing influence of Banzai in the Omaha metro, and we’ll learn a lot more about these groups in Minneapolis.
Premier Nebraska goes four deep at the 15s level with 15 Silver, and Nebraska Elite completes a three stack with 15 Extreme.