HISTORICAL RETURN: Jordy Bahl Statue to Be Unveiled at Memorial Stadium, Cementing Her Legacy as a Nebraska Icon
In a moment poised to echo through Cornhusker history, the University of Nebraska has announced the upcoming unveiling of a statue honoring Jordy Bahl, the legendary softball phenom whose return to Lincoln in 2023 ignited a cultural and athletic renaissance in Nebraska sports. The statue, set to be revealed on September 20, 2025—prior to the Huskers’ marquee football matchup against Michigan—will stand just outside Memorial Stadium’s East Plaza, overlooking the heart of Husker Nation.
The decision to immortalize Bahl marks a historic first: she will be the first female athlete honored with a statue on Nebraska’s campus, and one of the youngest athletes in NCAA history to receive such a distinction. It’s a bold move—but few in Nebraska, or across the college sports world, question the significance of her legacy.
Originally from Papillion, Nebraska, Bahl was a national softball sensation and top-ranked recruit who began her college career at Oklahoma, where she won two Women’s College World Series titles. But it was her decision to return home to Nebraska in 2023 that electrified the state. Her transfer was more than an athletic shift—it was a homecoming wrapped in pride, resilience, and identity.
In her first season back, Bahl posted a jaw-dropping 0.98 ERA, with 280 strikeouts and 11 shutouts. She led the Huskers to their first Women’s College World Series appearance in decades, drawing record crowds to Bowlin Stadium and generating statewide interest that rivaled football Saturdays. Merchandise sold out. Youth softball clinics tripled in attendance. She became a symbol of what Nebraska could be—not just in football, but across all sports.
University Chancellor Dr. Martha Phillips described the statue as “a tribute not only to Jordy’s incredible impact on the field, but to the millions she inspired off of it.”
Sculpted by acclaimed artist Douglas Freeman, the bronze statue captures Bahl in mid-windup—fierce, focused, and unbreakable. Her glove-hand is frozen in motion, her eyes locked on an invisible plate, while etched beneath are the words: “Home is where you make history.” The quote is drawn from Bahl’s viral statement upon her transfer: “I didn’t come home to slow down. I came home to build something that lasts.”
The unveiling ceremony will feature Bahl herself, along with Nebraska coaches, university officials, and a sea of red-clad fans. A commemorative patch will be worn by Nebraska athletes that weekend, honoring her impact across all programs.
Jordy Bahl’s story was never about just one sport. It was about homegrown excellence, about blazing trails, and about returning to where your roots run deepest—and rewriting the future in the process. As the statue rises beside the hallowed grounds of Memorial Stadium, it signals something bigger than a tribute.
It’s a declaration: Legends don’t just come from Nebraska. They come back.
