More women are playing football
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Women are increasingly joining the typically male-dominated sport despite fewer leagues and opportunities.
The big picture: The NFL is investing in women's flag football, and the Olympics is planning the sport's debut in 2028.
Zoom in: In Huntsville, local high schools have women's flag football teams, including Huntsville High, Lee and Jemison.
The latest: Alabama is one of 17 states where high school athletic associations have sanctioned girls varsity flag championships, and 22 states have pilot programs in play.
- Independent collegiate leagues, including the NAIA and NJCAA, already have flag football.
- In February, an NCAA committee recommended that Divisions I, II and III add flag football as an emerging women's sport.
Reality check: Access to tackle football remains scarce for women, and many athletes who wind up in pro leagues come from sports such as basketball and track.
- "There are more girls getting footballs put in their hands than any time, any other time in the world because of flag football," WNFC founder Odessa Jenkins says. But "most of the women that are playing tackle football right now are playing with the boys."
State of play: The WNFC is growing quickly, with league leaders securing an initial $1 million in seed funding in 2024.
- Jenkins says she's working on raising $15 million to expand the league's presence.
- Most women who want to play turn toward flag football, but tackle is gaining traction.