Texas Girls Flag Football may need to wait longer than expected to get state sanctioned

SPRING, Texas - Girls flag football is officially on the track to becoming a sanctioned high school sport in Texas, but local athletes and advocates say the state's timeline may leave a generation of players behind.

This week, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) voted to approve girls flag football "in concept" as an official pilot program, pending the approval of the Texas Commissioner of Education. Under the proposal, the pilot will likely target Class 5A and 6A schools, with the program set to begin no earlier than the 2028–2029 school year.

While the decision marks a regulatory milestone, local coaches, players, and NFL leaders who spearheaded the sport's growth in Greater Houston say the longer-than-expected wait is bittersweet.

A 'Test Run' Before Full State Sanctioning

Leading up to the rollout of the pilot program, UIL staff will survey school districts, evaluate logistics, and draft an official rulebook. This pilot program is a "test run" to assess field availability, referee staffing, and athletic budgets before full varsity sanctioning is considered.

At The Farm League Park in Spring, players and coaches with the TFL Lady Colts — one of the region's premier select travel organizations — welcomed the recognition, but criticized the delay.

"My first reaction was ‘Yay this is great,’ but man, that is a delay that really frustrated us," said Tayton Coffelt, Head Coach of the TFL Lady Colts. "They’ve tabled us for many years now and kind of pushed us to the side. It's great to have a pilot program, but we’re ready now. I know we’re frustrated, and we want it sanctioned now."

For current high school student-athletes who built the foundation for girls flag football in Texas, the projected 2028 timeline means their high school careers may end before official varsity play ever begins. 

Klein Cain High School freshman Brynlee Jatzlau currently plays travel flag football because her school does not offer a campus program. She has hopes that her sport will get sanctioned before she graduates in 2030. 

"I’ve played this sport my whole life basically and just doing it with more people and growing the sport would be awesome," Jatzlau said. 

NFL Backing Fuels Growth Across Texas

The Houston Texans launched their official Girls Flag Football initiative in 2023, led by Chief Community Officer and Houston Texans Foundation Vice President Hannah McNair. The Texans Foundation grants funding for schools to adopt girls flag football.

Since its inception, the Texans' program has expanded flag football to more than 150 area schools. By 2027, more than 270 Texas schools and nearly 6,000 female student-athletes are projected to participate in girls' flag programs. 

McNair, who also serves as Co-Chair of the NFL's Flag Football Committee, has led a statewide effort with Charlotte Jones and the Dallas Cowboys to advocate for the state sanctioning of the sport. 

What they're saying:

The Houston Texans released the following statement about the UIL’s approval for a pilot program:

"While an official pilot program is a step forward in our mission to sanction girls flag football, I’m disappointed that official sanctioning will be delayed another three years," McNair said. 

"I appreciate the continued progress made in expanding opportunities for deserving female student-athletes and the recognition of this sport's positive impact on and off the field. At the Texans, we will continue to provide access to flag football for thousands of girls across our state as we look forward to the day we Make Texas Next."  

Brett Stewart, Director of Youth Football Development for the Houston Texans, emphasized that 25 other U.S. states have already fully sanctioned girls flag football.

"We know that football is king here in Texas. There's nothing bigger than football and Friday night lights, and we want these girls to have their version of it," Stewart said. "So it delays the opportunity for these schools and these girls who aren't participating in our program currently... they'd have to wait to join and be a part of that pilot program."

Because the pilot program will not hit Texas fields until 2028 at the earliest, current high school sophomores, juniors and seniors will miss the opportunity to represent their schools on an official varsity stage.