USA FOOTBALL STATEMENT ON NORTH CAROLINA SANCTIONING GIRLS’ FLAG FOOTBALL AS A VARSITY SPORT
The following quote can be attributed to Scott Hallenbeck, CEO and Executive Director of USA Football. USA Football is the National Governing Body of American Football in the United States and will select, train and lead Team USA Football when flag football makes its debut in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles:
"On behalf of USA Football, I am thrilled to celebrate the NCHSAA's decision to sanction girls' flag football as a varsity sport. The growth of this game among women and girls has been incredible to watch, and now young women in North Carolina have a clear path to compete at the highest levels, earn college scholarships and develop skills that will serve them long after their playing days are over.
"Our U.S. Women's National Team pipeline gets stronger every time a new state sanctions girls' flag football, and North Carolina is already well ahead of the curve. The Carolina Panthers will help more than 150 high schools field girls' flag football programs in the 2026-27 school year, which means there are plenty of talented athletes in this state ready to be discovered.
"USA Football is proud to play a role in what comes next, and for many of these young women, that could mean representing their country on the international stage when flag football makes its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028."
Background:
The North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) announced Wednesday that girls’ flag football will be sanctioned as a varsity sport. North Carolina is the 21st state to sanction girls’ flag football as a high school varsity sport.
The states that now sanction flag football as a varsity sport include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Washington.
Among the current USA Football National Team members with North Carolina roots are Amber Clark-Robinson, a Greenville native who attended South Central High School in Winterville and competed in track and field at the University of North Carolina, and Madison Fulford, a Charlotte native who attended Jay M. Robinson High School in Concord and is a track and field alum of Limestone University in South Carolina. Mooresville's Lilly Rumrill, the first player from North Carolina to sign a letter of intent to play college flag football, was a finalist for the inaugural Maxwell Girls National Flag Football Player of the Year Award and earned a spot in USA Football's National Team Development Program 2024 Select Bowl in the 20U division.
The Carolina Panthers have been central to the sport's growth in the state, launching a Girls High School Flag Football League in partnership with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Athletics on National Girls and Women in Sports Day in 2022. Since then, the Panthers have helped expand the game across North Carolina, with more than 150 schools committed to fielding programs in the 2026-27 school year.
Flag football is an inclusive and accessible format of the game that is fast, creative and exciting, played by people of all ages and genders. It is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with women and girls driving the surge in participation. According to USA Football research, the number of girls ages six to 12 playing flag football increased by 283% from 2015 through 2024. More than 68,800 girls played high school flag football in 2024, 60% more than the prior year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations' latest participation survey.
As the National Governing Body, USA Football oversees all aspects of American football in the United States. This includes hosting Talent ID Camps for both youth and adult competitors to showcase their skills, refine their techniques, and enter the National Team pipeline. USA Football will select, train and lead Team USA Football® when flag football makes its debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
About USA Football: USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) for American Football in the United States and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport of American football. USA Football selects, trains and leads Team USA Football® in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways. For more information, visit usafootball.com.