BOSTON — On Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, Governor Maura Healey called for girls flag football to become an official Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) varsity sport, citing its rapid growth throughout the Commonwealth and the opportunities it offers young women to compete, develop leadership skills, and represent their schools.
According to Governor Healey’s office and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, the number of Massachusetts high school girls flag football teams has grown from eight in 2023 to 90 in 2026.
In a letter to the MIAA, Governor Healey urged the association to formally recognize the sport and provide female athletes with the same competitive opportunities available to other varsity student-athletes.
“The question is not whether young women in Massachusetts want to play flag football; they have already answered that through their participation, commitment, and advocacy for the sport,” Healey wrote in the letter. “The opportunity before us is whether we will provide them with the same level of recognition, support, and competitive structure afforded to other varsity student-athletes.”
Official varsity status would give players greater recognition and a more consistent competitive structure while expanding opportunities for girls to represent their schools, develop leadership skills, and experience the benefits of participating in interscholastic athletics, according to the Healey administration.
The New England Patriots Foundation launched a girls high school flag football pilot program in Massachusetts in 2023 with eight participating schools. The program expanded to 23 teams in 2024 before reaching 90 teams during the 2026 season.
Robert Kraft, chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots, expressed support for recognizing girls flag football as an official varsity sport.
“When the Patriots Foundation launched this program with eight schools in 2023, we believed it could create meaningful opportunities for girls to compete, lead and represent their communities. To see it grow to 90 teams that we have been proud to financially support in just four seasons demonstrates that these athletes are ready for the next step,” Kraft said. “We strongly advocate for the effort to make girls flag football an official MIAA varsity sport and provide these student-athletes with the recognition, resources and competitive structure they have earned and we look forward to continuing to support and grow the program with additional teams in the coming years.”
Massachusetts Education Secretary Steve Zrike also endorsed the proposal, citing requests from students who want girls flag football to receive official varsity recognition.
“Young women across Massachusetts have made their voices heard,” Zrike said. “Their advocacy and the remarkable growth of the sport across the state show the enthusiasm behind it.”
Under a process approved by the MIAA Board of Directors in 2025, sports seeking official recognition may first seek designation as an “Emerging Sport” before potentially advancing to championship status as participation increases. The process requires support from at least 15 percent of MIAA member schools, Governor Healey’s office and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education reported in a statement.
Nationally, participation in girls high school flag football grew from 15,716 players in 2021–2022 to 102,360 in 2025–2026, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Participation increased 48.7% last year, up from 68,847, making flag football one of the 10 most popular high school sports for girls. The number of schools reporting participation also increased from 2,736 to 3,990 in the past year.
The sport is also expanding at the collegiate level, providing additional opportunities for athletes to continue competing after high school.
Flag football is scheduled to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
