In the wake of enthusiastic flyers and school-wide emails, Augustana University earlier this year invited female students to join a pioneering club team for women’s flag football. Located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, this initiative gained the involvement of Kiley Coyne, an assistant music department director with a passion for women’s tackle football. Coyne, eager to combine her interests, openly accepted the dual role of coaching.
“I thought, all we need are ten players to have an offense and a defense. Let’s roll with it,” Coyne shared. Gladdeningly, the team now boasts 23 participants.
Flag football for girls is enjoying an upswing nationwide, spurred by its recent inclusion in the lineup for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics, with staunch backing from the NFL.
“A major attraction of flag football is its accessibility,” stated Stephanie Kwok, the NFL’s vice president of flag football. “It opens up new opportunities for girls in sports.”
College campuses are becoming fertile ground for this surge in interest. Offering financial and operational support, including $140,000 from the Minnesota Vikings, Augustana is part of a seven-team league established this spring. The league includes institutions from Minnesota and Wisconsin, facilitating three consecutive Saturday game rounds, culminating in a championship event.
Brooklyn Sturm, an Augustana freshman and a former high school athlete in volleyball, basketball, and softball, had initially planned to focus solely on academics. However, the absence of sports from her routine was palpable.
“I realized something was missing. This void was evident upon arrival,” said Sturm, the team’s newfound quarterback, reminiscing about her initial four-hour journey to Northwestern University in Minnesota for the season’s opening games. “If flag football was an option back in high school, I definitely would’ve seized it.”
According to data from the National Federation of High Schools, 14 states officially recognize girls’ flag football, enlisting 42,955 players for the 2023-24 school year. This figure excludes participations in clubs or intramural leagues but underlines the sport’s roots, with half a million girls aged 6 to 17 taking part nationally. In Minnesota, a four-team high school club pilot evolved into a 51-school competition this year.
More than 100 colleges and universities, from the NCAA to junior colleges, now offer women’s flag football as a varsity or club sport, with the NAIA taking the lead in sanctioned games starting in 2021. Sixteen NCAA schools currently host varsity programs, with at least 20 additional schools expected by 2026. Earlier this year, the NCAA pushed for flag football’s recognition as an emerging sport.
A fascinating trend in Minnesota has seen women with no prior sports team experience joining this initiative.
“I coach for those who’ve never worn a uniform or felt the school spirit of a team,” said Melissa Lee, associate athletic director at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, who also took on coaching for the school’s team.
Upon initial meetings, the key question was about past sports experience. “Their common answer? ‘I played powderpuff during high school’s junior and senior year,’” recounted Lee. “That was enough for me. I said, ‘You’re on the team.’”
This initiative even challenges coaches from men’s tackle teams who’ve crossed over to lead these women’s teams. The nature of flag football extends beyond the absence of tackling. Game parameters differ significantly across organizations and levels, with half-sized fields and typically five-per-side play. Teams use four downs to mid-field, followed by another set of downs to attempt scoring. Unlike traditional punts kicked in football, offenses declare a punt verbally, allowing the opposite team to resume play from its five-yard line. Defensive plays must adhere to strict rushing guidelines where the quarterback blitz can only commence from seven yards beyond the scrimmage. Running the ball within the defense’s five-yard territory is forbidden, and post-touchdown conversion attempts can either score one point from the five-yard line or two from further out at ten yards.
Coyne envisions an expansion into 7-on-7 formations next season, enhancing participation time. With more schools showing interest, the seven-team league could potentially double, paving the path toward securing varsity status if sustainable funding is secured.
Sturm reflects fondly on her choice, initially puzzling to her family for its departure from sports. “They now say, ‘This is truly you. This is how it’s meant to be.’ Embracing this opportunity feels right,” she concluded.