She's Got Game: Huskers lead on growing girls flag football in Nebraska
Matt Rhule believes girls flag football is the next big thing in Nebraska, so he's investing his time in helping make that happen.
Flag football is coming to the Olympics in 2028.
It’s not surprising either, especially when you look at the numbers behind the decision. An annual participation study by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association in 2022 showed that 7.1 million people participated in flag football in the United States. Of that, more than half a dozen states had sanctioned girls’ flag football as a varsity sport. On the international level, the sport is played by 20 million people in more than 100 countries.
The decision didn’t come without significant push from entities like the NFL. Troy Vincent, NFL executive vice president of football operations, wrote an op-ed in July 2023 addressing the need to further consider flag football on an international stage.
“Girls are leading the charge in making flag football one of the fastest-growing sports today,” Vincent said.
By October, flag football was approved by the International Olympic Committee.
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