INDIANAPOLIS — In a new $1 million investment, the Indianapolis Colts alongside team owner Jim Irsay’s family are working to support the development of girls high school flag football in Indiana, the team announced during their game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
According to a press release from the Colts, this investment will work to make the sport fully sanctioned as an Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) sport.
Girls high school flag football is currently eligible to be designated an “emerging sport” under the IHSAA, which means 20 or more schools must participate in it. Per the Colts, there are 27 Indiana schools participating in girls high school flag football.
For the sport to become fully sanctioned, 100 member schools must compete while they are in “emerging sport status”. Because of this, the Colts said they will launch a campaign called the “Road to 100”.
This campaign will help offset the costs of launching a girls high school flag football team. According to the Colts, those costs typically range from $5,000 to $8,000 after the prices of equipment, uniforms, training and coaching stipends are factored in. As such, the Colts will invest $10,000 each in the next 75 schools that commit to creating a team in 2025.
“Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world for a reason – it offers physical and mental health benefits, teaches teamwork, discipline and resilience, and is a pathway to greater opportunities for young women in sports and beyond,” said the Colts Vice Chair and Owner, Kalen Jackson. “The more girls play, the stronger the game will be.”
Adding onto this, Charlie Irsay-Gordon, an additional Colts vice chair and owner, called girls flag football “more than just a sport,” noting the scholarships, opportunities and career growth it can foster.
“By starting a team, schools not only will foster a new sport but also help young women develop leadership skills and a lifelong passion for football,” Irsay-Gordon said.
The effort to expand girls high school flag football is not a new one. In 2023, the Colts started the Colts Girls High School Flag Football League. Eight teams from Indianapolis and South Bend, Ind. participated, according to the Colts. That expanded the following year to 27 teams with five divisions across the state. Here, too, the Colts assisted with funding costs.
The Colts said that flag football development helps them introduce football to people, especially girls, who may not have had access to it in the past. Some past programs include
- Colts FLAG Football Leagues, which helps connect young athletes to programs sanctioned by NFL FLAG
- The Colts FLAG Regional Tournament, which the Colts use to determine young people who qualify for the NFL FLAG National Tournament
- Colts United FLAG Classic, which is dedicated to high school students with and without disabilities to participate on an inclusive team.
For more information and details on fielding a team, visit this website.
