USA TODAY Sports is partnering with the NFL to elevate Girls Flag Football. As part of the partnership, USA TODAY Sports will feature the USA TODAY Sports Super 25 Girls Flag Football poll. The poll will be ranked by a panel of USA TODAY Network writers. The poll will also use data from the NFHS Network.
It will survey the girls flag football in seven of the twelve sanctioned states. The states are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, and Illinois. The USA TODAY Network will publish the results online throughout the high school football season. NFL and NFL club channels will also highlight them.
Chris Thomas, USA TODAY Network Sports Executive Editor, expressed his enthusiasm about the deal. “We’re thrilled to partner with the NFL as girls flag football continues to grow across the country,” Thomas said, adding that the USA TODAY Network is the leader in high school sports coverage. The timing of the partnership could not be better, he added.
Recognizing Top Performances and Champions
No later than the end of the fall term, USA TODAY Network reporters will be responsible for naming one overall Super 25 Champion. Reporters also would seek to report on top performances in each participating state. Champions will be celebrated in their local market courtesy of local NFL clubs. During the course of the season, these highlights will form the backbone of NFL programming.
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Stephanie Kwok, NFL vice president of football said, “This is an amazing opportunity presented by USA TODAY Sports to amplify girls high school flag football.” She also added that USA TODAY Sports provides the sport with significant national exposure. This would amply help in sanctioning more states and including teams into the rankings.
Growth of Flag Football and Olympic Inclusion
An estimated 20 million people around the world play flag football. It is a non-contact, fast-paced, gender-equal format of football. The sport is for everyone, regardless of their age or sex. Women and girls have been the driving force behind the fastest growth of the sport.
Hall of Fame Village, Canton, Ohio, hosted the NFL Flag Championships earlier this summer with participation from 2,800 players around the world. For a second year in a row, Orlando, Florida will host the 2025 Pro Bowl Games, the NFL said. The event features on-field and off-field skills competitions and an action-packed flag football game.
The latter part of this month will see the IFAF World Flag Football Championships take place in Lahti, Finland. This will bring together the cream of flag football talent from 32 nations spanning five different continents. In summary, it will be the largest flag football event ever held.
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A major milestone came for the sport on October 16, 2023. The International Olympic Committee voted to include flag football in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was a historic decision that would further legitimize and give more credibility to the sport. It gives the athletes the opportunity to fight on the world’s biggest stage.
Impact of the Partnership on Future Growth
The partnership between USA TODAY Sports and the NFL can be considered another huge step toward further development for girls football. Coverage will include naming the top players and teams through the Super 25 poll, among other components. This is supposed to keep on spurring even more growth and popularity for the sport. And then it will be time for it to get its chance in the Olympics-just that little more encouragement and a great opportunity for the athletes.
These developments are about to make girls flag football that much more visible and supported. With these two major sports organizations and media outlets in support, more exposure to the sport will increase. As girls’ flag football grows, it will be inspiring more young athletes to enthuse more interest in the game.
