Should Minnesota Add Girls High School Flag Football?

One of my family's favorite Super Bowl commercials was the NFL's 'flag football' spot. In the ad, a girl at a throwback, 1980's style high school wants to play football but is met with scorn by the boys who make up the team.

The girl has to go up against "The Brad" to prove she could hang, which of course she is more than capable of.

The ad is part of a campaign by the NFL to make girls flag football a varsity sport across all 50 states. The league has a website, NFLFLAG50.com, to promote their efforts.

According to the website, 14 states currently have officially sanctioned girls flag football as a varsity high school sport: California, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Colorado, Illinois, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

The Star Tribune says about 500,000 girls from ages 6-17 played flag football in the year 2023. Women's flag football will debut as an Olympic sport in 2028.

While Minnesota has flag football programs that are open to girls, including one in Sauk Rapids and another in Foley, it is not an officially sanctioned sport per the Minnesota High School League.

The Star Tribune says the MSHSL requires 20 teams to compete for at least two years in order to be classified as 'emerging.'

For student athletes hoping to start a flag football program at their school, the NFL's website suggest starting with approaching your school's Activities Director or Principal, either of which can get the ball rolling.

In addition, the NFL recommends connecting with the local NFL team's Community Relations Director for more information.

According to the NFL, women's flag football will be offered by 'nearly 60 colleges and universities across the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA this spring.'

NFL:

Flag football is the most inclusive and affordable way to play football. Flag football provides another opportunity for girls in high school to participate in sports and experience all of the benefits. Data collected by the NFHS shows that adding a flag football team increases overall sports participation: approximately 50 percent of girls who join their flag football team are playing a high school sport for the first time.