In December, the University of Michigan\u2019s women\u2019s flag football team was practicing outside amid freezing temperatures in the dark and the snow. They had no funding, no indoor space and no University support. Nobody asked them to, but they showed up.<\/p>\n
Rackham student Jordan Landis, president of the Michigan women\u2019s flag football team, believes that\u2019s what women\u2019s flag football at the University is all about. Now, just three months later, Landis preps playbook wristbands during a Thursday night practice on North Campus. The team is preparing for its first standalone game, a matchup against Indiana University. Landis believes it will be a landmark moment for women\u2019s flag football: The game will be the first Big Ten Conference women\u2019s flag football game in the Midwest.<\/p>\n
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LSA sophomore Catherine Larock catches a ball at the Trinity Health Sports Dome in Livonia before the game Saturday, April 11. Emily Alberts\/DAILY.<\/i> Buy this photo.<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n - \n
![\"Nadya](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.michigandaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/095A7874.jpg?resize=780%2C1170&ssl=1\")
LSA sophomore Nadya Mccloskey prepares to throw the ball at the Trinity Health Sports Dome in Livonia during the game Saturday, April 11. Emily Alberts\/DAILY.<\/i> Buy this photo.<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n - \n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.michigandaily.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/873A0310.jpg?resize=780%2C520&ssl=1\")
Women\u2019s flag football at the University of Michigan huddles up during a game at the Trinity Health Sports Dome in Livonia with Indiana in the background Saturday, April 11. Emily Alberts\/DAILY.<\/i> Buy this photo.<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The numbers alone tell a remarkable story about the sport\u2019s unprecedented growth. USA Football has reported<\/a> that, from 2015 to 2024, the number of girls aged 6-12 that are playing flag football has increased by 283%, while participation among girls aged 6-17 increased by 57%. More recently, the number of young women<\/a> playing on high school teams increased by nearly 60% from 2024 to 2025. For this upcoming spring season<\/a>, more than 100 new teams will compete among more than 200 clubs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The driving force behind much of this exponential growth is the sport\u2019s impending introduction<\/a> at the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Additionally, the National Collegiate Athletic Association designated<\/a> the sport as a 2026 Emerging Sport for Women in January, a primary step to earning official NCAA championship status. This recognition is a tangible step toward ensuring the sport is taken seriously.<\/p>\n
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