The Coed Follies was a yearly theatrical production organized by the women of AWS. The Coed Follies consisted of various sororities and women living in female residence halls that created skits and performed them for an audience in hopes of winning the top prize. Listed as early as 1926 in the Cornhusker Yearbook, the Coed Follies was one of the highlights of the AWS and the event’s revenue supported the organization financially. 

For the early years of the Coed Follies, men were not allowed to be a part of the festivities because it was seen as a great bond of sisterhood to only have female students involved. However throughout the years many male students tried to sneak in, and some succeeded. In 1952 around 200 male students raided the Coed Follies, some disguised as female students and before the winner of the “Typical Nebraska Coed” was announced, the men were escorted by the police out of the building. In 1953 the AWS officially changed the rules and allowed men to join the audience and added the contest of Eligible Bachelor to the program. In 1961 the title of Eligible Bachelor was changed to Outstanding Collegiate Man. 

To be a part of the Coed Follies women in sororities and residence halls participated in tryouts and the best five or six skits were chosen to perform at the event. The women wrote the skits, which often consisted of song parodies and a variety of topics ranging from the Wild West to the Pacific Islands. The women performing in the Coed Follies spent countless hours creating costumes and set designs to enhance their performance and increase their chances of winning the title of best skit.