State of Nebraska has poured $12 million into Husker-tied TeamMates

Lincoln—In a Capitol news conference held last year, former Nebraska football coach Tom Osborne stood alongside Governor Jim Pillen and a bipartisan group of lawmakers to spotlight a state commitment that has now reached the eight-figure mark: Nebraska has invested $12 million in TeamMates, the youth-mentoring program Osborne co-founded more than three decades ago.

The announcement came just a month after Pillen took office, when the governor stepped to the microphone flanked by nonprofit leaders and legislators to unveil an initiative he described as “close to his heart.” The new state dollars, drawn from general-fund appropriations approved during the 2023 session, are designed to expand mentorship opportunities for young Nebraskans, particularly in rural districts and underserved urban corridors where school counselors say one-on-one guidance is scarce.

TeamMates, which pairs students with volunteer mentors and currently operates in more than 170 Nebraska school districts, has long drawn its core identity from Husker athletics. Osborne and his wife, Nancy, launched the program in 1991 while he was head football coach, initially asking players to mentor middle-schoolers. The model proved durable; the nonprofit now serves roughly 8,000 students statewide and has extended into Iowa, Kansas, and Wyoming.

Pillen’s administration framed the $12 million infusion as a preventive investment. “Every kid needs a champion,” the governor told reporters at the Capitol. “By backing TeamMates with state resources, we’re saying that Nebraska believes in the power of mentorship to steer students toward graduation and productive citizenship.”

Lawmakers who backed the appropriation noted that the funds will underwrite mentor training, background checks, and program coordination in districts that previously lacked the local revenue to participate. The money is being distributed over a three-year window, with benchmarks tied to the number of new mentor-student matches created and retention rates among participants.

For Osborne, the state’s support marks a milestone. “When we started, we hoped to reach a handful of kids,” he said. “To see Nebraska make this level of commitment is both humbling and energizing.”