Women's flag football grows on college campuses, from startup clubs to varsity teams with NFL boost

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — The flyers started appearing around the Augustana University campus earlier this year, followed by the all-student email blast. A club team was forming for women's flag football, with room for all comers.

Kiley Coyne, an assistant director of admission for the music department who just happens to play on a women's tackle football team in her spare time, eagerly added coaching to her duties at the school of 2,000 undergraduates in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

“I remember saying, ‘I just need 10.’ If we can have an offense and a defense, let's go," Coyne said. “Now we have 23 people who've gone out for it.”

With the sport's inclusion in the Summer Olympics lineup for Los Angeles in 2028 serving as the most recent bump, flag football participation by girls has continued to spike across the country. The NFL has been a staunch supporter.

“I think one of the beauties of flag football is how accessible it is,” said Stephanie Kwok, the league's vice president of flag football. “It’s adding to the opportunities for girls to play sports.”

The college level is the natural place for the next surge of growth. Augustana is one of seven NCAA schools fielding a club team this spring in a league launched with $140,000 and logistical support from the Minnesota Vikings. With five institutions in Minnesota and one in Wisconsin, a schedule was arranged for each team to assemble for multiple games at the same site on three Saturdays this month, including a championship tournament this weekend.

When Brooklyn Sturm first arrived on the Augustana campus as a freshman last fall, the former high school volleyball, basketball and softball standout wasn't planning any athletic commitments beyond intramurals.

Now she's a quarterback.

“I thought I needed to focus on academics, but when I got here it felt like a part of me was missing,” said Sturm, whose team made the four-hour drive to Northwestern University in Roseville, Minnesota, for the inaugural round of games on April 6. “If we had this opportunity in high school, I probably would've taken it.”

According to National Federation of High Schools data, 14 states have girls' flag football as a sanctioned sport with 42,955 players nationwide during the 2023-24 school year. That figure doesn’t include club or intramural participation, of course. About half a million girls ages 6 to 17 play the sport in some organized form. In Minnesota, the Vikings helped launch a four-team pilot at the high school club level last spring. This year, there are 51 schools in the league.

More than 100 higher-educational institutions, either in the NCAA, the NAIA or the junior college level, are now offering women’s flag football as a varsity or club sport, according to the NFL. The NAIA was on board first with sanctioned competition that began in 2021. There are 16 schools currently supporting an NCAA varsity program, with at least 20 more teams expected to start in 2026. Earlier this year, the NCAA recommended women’s flag football be designated an emerging sport.

One of the most intriguing developments in Minnesota has been the turnout from women who had never played an organized team sport before.

“Why am I doing this? It’s for those women who’ve never worn a uniform, who've never been part of the school spirit of being part of a team,” said Melissa Lee, an associate athletic director at Augsburg University in Minneapolis who agreed to coach the school's team.

The obvious first question at the first gathering was about previous experience in the sport.

“What's their token answer? We played powderpuff at homecoming our junior and senior year,” said Lee, who had 24 women sign up at the school of about 2,400 undergrads. “That was all it took for me. I said, ‘You’re on the team.'”

Even for the coaches on men's tackle teams who've crossed over this spring to help lead the women's flag startups, there has been a lot to learn.

The standard rules of flag football differ more than simply the absence of tackling, with plenty of variance from league to league and level to level. The fields are half as wide and half as long, and play is typically 5-on-5. The offense has four downs to cross midfield, then another four to score. Punts are verbally declared and not kicked, like an intentional walk in baseball, before the opponent takes possession at its own 5-yard line. The defense can rush the passer, but only from 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Running plays aren’t allowed inside the defense’s 5-yard line. After a touchdown, the scoring team chooses a 1-point conversion play from the 5 or a 2-point play from the 10.

Next season, Coyne said, the hope is to move to 7-on-7 play to increase playing time. Enough schools have expressed interest that the seven-team league could double in size. Then, ideally, varsity status would follow if a sustainable way to fund it can be figured out.

“I just love taking new opportunities,” Sturm said, recalling the surprise by her family members at her initial decision to not play a college sport. “Now that they know I'm getting back into it, they're like, ‘This is you. This is what you're supposed to do.'”

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Augustana University and Concordia University, St. Paul players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

An Augustana University player warms up before a women's college flag football game against Concordia University, St. Paul, Monday, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

University of Wisconsin - Stout players celebrate during a women's college flag football game against University of Northwestern St. Paul, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Augustana University and Concordia University, St. Paul players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Augustana University and Concordia University, St. Paul players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

University of Northwestern St. Paul and University of Wisconsin - Stout players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

University of Northwestern St. Paul and University of Wisconsin - Stout players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Augustana University players huddle before a women's college flag football game against Concordia University, St. Paul, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Augustana University and Concordia University, St. Paul players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Augustana University and Concordia University, St. Paul players compete during a women's college flag football game, April 7, 2025, in St. Paul. Minn. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)