Thousands gathered in San Francisco in the days leading up to the most anticipated game on the NFL calendar. But before the Seahawks and Patriots took center stage in , it was the contactless version of the game that repeatedly found itself in the spotlight.
Whether it was the NFL鈥檚 top players going head-to-head in the , the 2026 NFL Flag International Championship, or a number of showcases highlighting the talents of athletes across the globe, the rapid rise of flag football was represented accordingly in San Francisco.
A game once confined to recess has surged in recent years. It helps that three powerhouses are aligned in backing the growth of the sport: the NFL, NCAA and International Olympic Committee.
A strong backing is one of the reasons why flag football is on track to move through the program at a pace few sports have experienced.
鈥淲ith any sport that we鈥檝e had move through the program, and flag being a good recent example of this, when there are multiple entities that are behind it and are working together towards the shared goal, that鈥檚 been a lot more successful for growth,鈥� Gretchen Miron, the NCAA’s director of education and external engagement, told The Associated Press.
The emerging sports program has helped eight women鈥檚 sports reach championship status since its creation in 1994: beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey, water polo, bowling, wrestling, stunt and acrobatics & tumbling.
Once in the program, a minimum of 40 schools must sponsor the sport at a varsity level for it to be considered for the next stages. It鈥檚 a benchmark that sports like equestrian and rugby haven鈥檛 been able to meet after years in the program. Flag football, which entered the program in mid-January, is 40 varsity programs by the spring.
The sport also offers a solution to equity questions that college athletics have long grappled with. In a college sports landscape historically dominated by men鈥檚 football and basketball, women鈥檚 flag football offers a new way to broaden participation opportunities.
At the very least, it could help with compliance, which calls for athletic departments to offer opportunities that adequately reflect the student population.
鈥淥ne of the reasons why we see lots of schools add women鈥檚 sports is because they are continuing to evaluate and make sure that they鈥檙e balanced from a Title IX perspective,鈥� Miron said.
Equestrian and rugby require larger rosters, so a school with a slight imbalance might opt for a smaller addition. , with rosters averaging around 20 to 25 athletes, could help fill that gap.
鈥淚 would say that we have really high participation numbers right now for women,鈥� Miron said. 鈥淏ut there is still a significant gap between men and women as far as overall participation opportunities.鈥�
In 2023, the IOC voted in favor of adding flag football as an official Olympic sport set to debut at the , signifying just how broad its reach has become.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell pointed to access as a driving force behind that growth.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of the hottest sports in the world,鈥� Goodell said in the days leading up to the Super Bowl. 鈥淚鈥檓 tremendously inspired when you see people who didn鈥檛 have access to this game and they have a chance to play. That鈥檚 particularly true for young women.鈥�
An Olympic presence can only help an emerging sport, according to the NCAA Office of Inclusion. The visibility associated with being on the biggest stage can lead to increased participation levels and an accelerated path through the NCAA pipeline.
The Olympic announcement unlocked a future that some of the best flag football players in the game, like quarterback Diana Flores, had only dreamt of.
鈥淭he Olympics is the pinnacle of any athlete鈥檚 career,鈥� Flores said. 鈥淎s a young girl, I grew up watching the Olympics every four years and just, like, wondering how it could be to have that opportunity because flag was not even considered. … The door was not even there. It鈥檚 a dream come true just to have the opportunity to be part of that 鈥� for me, for all the flag football community worldwide.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham in Bormio, Italy, contributed to this report.
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