Girls flag football is one step closer to becoming a UIL-sanctioned sport.
The UIL legislative council approved a proposal to begin a girls flag football pilot program, beginning in the 2028-29 school year with no more than two conferences. The proposal needs final approval from the Texas Commissioner of Education.
As of fall 2027, 25 states will have sanctioned girls flag football. A superintendent survey conducted by the UIL this fall found that 52% of Class 6A and 5A superintendents support the adoption of flag football as a sanctioned sport. The survey also found that 165 schools currently offer the sport.
The Houston Texans and the Dallas Cowboys have been advocating for the addition of girls flag football as a sanctioned UIL sport for multiple years.
Flag football is quickly growing across the country at all levels. The NCAA added flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women program in January, which gives the sport a pathway to become an NCAA-sanctioned activity. Sports like rowing, beach volleyball and water polo have previously gone through the program and are now NCAA-championship sports.
Our Lady of the Lake launched a women's flag football program this school year, becoming the first San Antonio area university to do so. The NAIA is set to name a flag football national champion for the first time in spring 2027. Flag football, both men's and women's, is also set to make its Olympics debut in 2028.
According to the Houston Chronicle's Jon Poorman, participation in the Texans and Cowboys' programs is expected to reach more than 270 schools and around 6,000 athletes by 2027. The two NFL teams hosted the first girls flag football state championship at DATCU Stadium on the University of North Texas campus from June 13-14, four years after piloting their own programs. Rockwall-Heath took down Houston Memorial, 25-6, for the state title.
Monday's UIL proposal did not specify where girls flag football would fall into the academic calendar, and the timing for the flag football season varies across the country.
Some states that have already sanctioned girls flag football, like Georgia, have their seasons in the fall. This year's Georgia girls high school flag football championships will be held on Dec. 8 at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium. New York's flag football season is held in the spring. Last year's New York state championships were held from June 6-7.
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