Minnesota Vikings Partner With NCAA To Form Women’s Collegiate Flag Football League

The Minnesota Vikings are partnering with six midwestern colleges to launch a collegiate women's flag football league. Joining the Vikings for the venture are Augustana University, Concordia College, Gustavus Adolphus College, Bethel University, the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the University of Northwestern in St. Paul.

The Vikings are contributing $140,000 toward the effort, with Vikings President of Social Impact Brett Taber calling it a "significant moment for the continued growth of girls and women's flag football."

"These six institutions are set to do something unique, and their partnership with the Vikings and the NFL will bring further awareness to the future of women's football and empower the next generation of athletes to find opportunities to compete and shape this game," Taber said on the Vikings' website.

Minnesota Vikings Youth and High School Football Manager Joe Rush says the move will "provide a clear pathway for them to continue playing beyond high school."

"While we certainly anticipate a high level of competition, the impact extends beyond the playing field. We see women's collegiate flag as a way to expand access and opportunity, foster leadership, showcase incredible athletes and create a lasting impact that will inspire future generations," Rush said on the team's website.

The Vikings have been very active in their support of girls and women's flag football, contributing over $600,000 toward the effort since 2022. In that year, the Vikings teamed with Minneapolis Public Schools for a middle school girls flag football program and the team has worked with the state toward its first high school girls flag football league in 2025.

As of 2024, 51 colleges had a women's flag football program and nearly 500 institutions have expressed interest in women's flag football.