USA FOOTBALL SUMMER SERIES TURNS LOS ANGELES INTO CENTER OF THE FLAG FOOTBALL WORLD IN JUNE
Approximately 1,000 athletes and team personnel compete in national and international events
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – USA Football, the National Governing Body of American Football in the U.S., is returning to Los Angeles for Summer Series. The event will run from June 17-21 and feature top national and international athletes from around the world, transforming Los Angeles into the center of the flag football world while previewing the sport’s Olympic debut in the summer of 2028.
For the third consecutive year, Summer Series will be hosted at Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the LA Galaxy. Four competitions will be held throughout the week, including an international exhibition between two of the world’s premier men’s and women’s national teams as they prepare for the 2026 International Federation of American Football’s (IFAF) Flag Football World Championship.
The week will also feature three tournaments with gold medals on the line. All events will follow Olympic-style IFAF 5-on-5 rules to help prepare athletes for future international competition. There will be a host of activations and activities for youth athletes and fans available as part of Summer Series’ Fan Experience.
Media are invited to attend Summer Series for a front-row seat to experience one of the world’s fastest-growing sports and speak with the leaders pioneering a new path in football.
Broadcast Information
Games will be streamed on HomeTeam Network. Kyle Bailey (play-by-play) and Wes Bryant (analyst) will serve as the broadcast team for the third consecutive year, cementing themselves as one of the most experienced broadcasting duos in the sport. Bailey is a veteran sportscaster with more than 19 years of experience, and Bryant is a former Wake Forest University offensive lineman who has served as an on-air host for radio and television sports coverage.
Both Bailey and Bryant are on-air hosts for Sports Radio 92.7 WFNZ in Charlotte, N.C. Bailey hosts “The Kyle Bailey Show” on WFNZ in Charlotte. The show was recently honored in Barrett Sports Media’s Top 20 sports radio Major and Mid-Market Afternoon Shows of 2025, taking home the No. 6 spot. Bailey also has experience hosting pregame coverage for the Charlotte Hornets and leads WFNZ’s Carolina Panthers pregame coverage. He recently joined ESPN Radio as a host.
Bryant co-hosts “The Wes and Walker Show” on WFNZ in Charlotte, which was No. 11 on Barrett Sports Media’s Top 20 Sports Radio Mid Market Midday Shows of 2025. He is a host, producer, editor and voice-over talent for the ACC Digital Network, providing coverage of ACC football and basketball. In 2023, he made his debut as a college football analyst for the ACC on the CW Network.
Rivalry Series: U.S. vs. Canada
On June 19, Team USA Football® will face Canada in a series of exhibition games meant to showcase and grow the sport while also preparing both programs for the August’s 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championship in Düsseldorf, Germany. The world championship provides an opportunity for teams to qualify for the LA28 Olympics. The U.S. automatically qualified as the host nation.
The U.S. and Canada rank among the best in the world in flag football. The U.S. Men’s National Team has won five consecutive IFAF Flag Football World Championships and currently ranks No. 1 in the IFAF Flag Football World Rankings. Canada ranks in the top 10 and most recently faced the U.S. at the 2025 IFAF Americas Continental Championship in Panama.
The U.S. Women’s National Team has won the past three IFAF Flag Football World Championships and enters the 2026 competition cycle ranked No. 2 in the world after medaling at The World Games and the IFAF Americas Continental Championship last year. Canada is ranked No. 4 and also medaled in both competitions in 2025.
The event features the added intensity that it will serve as the last evaluation point before the final 12-athlete U.S. National Team rosters are announced. The rosters currently carry 18 athletes, six of whom will be designated as alternates in late June.
Rivalry Series will be streamed on HomeTeam Network with play-by-play and color commentary.
Following the second and final Rivalry Series game, the main stage will host a live “Meet the Team” podcast taping featuring members of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams. The conversation will be hosted by Marcel Reece, former NFL All-Pro fullback and USA Football’s Senior Vice President of Football Strategy & Operations. A separate Junior National Team “Meet the Team” taping will take place earlier in the day. Both podcasts will be available following the event on USA Football’s YouTube channel.
Junior International Cup
The Junior International Cup brings together top 15U and 17U boys’ and girls’ teams from around the world to compete for gold medals. The fifth annual edition of the event will feature teams from Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, South Korea and the U.S.
The Junior International Cup presents elite young athletes with the chance to gain international experience and progress further in the U.S. National Team pathway. Several former Junior National Team athletes are currently competing for final roster spots on the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, including Jorge Cascudo Jr., Akemi Higa, Maci Joncich and Ashlea Klam.
Games will run from June 17-21. This is a chance to preview the next generation of flag football.
Select Bowl
Select Bowl is the championship event of USA Football’s National Team Development Program, which hosts Talent ID Camps in partnership with NFL Clubs nationwide throughout the year. Top athletes from across the country compete in front of U.S. National Team personnel and evaluators for the chance to earn invitations to 2027 U.S. National Team Trials.
Select Bowl presents athletes with the opportunity to learn Olympic-style flag football from some of the best coaches in the country. The games, which run from June 17-20, provide athletes with experiences that mirror U.S. National Team athletes and promote their growth.
This year’s Select Bowl features eight divisions with four Select Teams each: 12U boys’ and girls’, 14U boys’ and girls’, 16U boys’ and girls’, 18U girls’ and 23U women’s.
Stars & States
Stars & States is a new element of the National Team Development Program making its Summer Series debut. Athletes from California, Florida, Texas and the Tri-State (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) will compete in 14U boys’ and girls’, 16U girls’, and 18U girls’ divisions as they seek to improve their skills and pursue future opportunities in flag football.
Athletes attending Stars & States will sharpen their skills by learning from top flag football coaches. U.S. National Team personnel and evaluators will be present throughout the event. Games run from June 19-21.
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.