Michigan girls’ flag high school football is growing. After starting with four schools in 2023, this year there are 24 teams with over 600 student-athletes participating across five pilot leagues, according to a story on DetroitLions.com.
The Lions’ “Second Season” kicked off on April 29 and will run through May 19. Each team will play three games, including one at Ford Field, home of the Lions.
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The league’s geographic footprint now includes Detroit and has expanded throughout Michigan with schools from Wayne, Washtenaw, Genesee, Livingston, Oakland, Lapeer, Calhoun and Baraga counties. This league is the first of its kind at the high school level in Michigan, with hopes to join the current 11 other states where girls high school flag football is a state-sanctioned sport. To help amplify girls flag football in their markets, Nike provided the uniforms and USA Football provided the necessary equipment for this league.
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This year, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation has teamed up with the Detroit Lions Foundation to provide a $325,000 grant spanning the next three years. This grant will serve as seed funding for schools across southeast Michigan seeking to initiate a high school girls flag program, as well as to establish a pipeline program at the middle school level.
“The enthusiasm shown by girls in our region who are eager to join flag football has been inspiring,” said Jim Boyle, VP of Programs and Communications at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. “Through our Project Play initiative, in partnership with the Detroit Lions Foundation, we’re aiming to bring the joy of girls’ flag football to even more middle and high schools across the region.”
The 24 schools were selected to participate in the league because they either have an established girls flag program or have expressed strong interest in creating one. Detroit Lions Football Education created the Girls Flag Football Rule Book with plans to modify to best fit the needs of the student athletes and coaches as the sport evolves. While creating a new opportunity for girls to get involved with sports at their school, the structure of the league also allows for girls to play even if participating in other spring sports.
Additional league information (standings, scores and photos) can be found at www.DetroitLions.com/girlsflag. Schools interested in participating in 2025 and beyond can visit the program’s webpage and complete the “Intent to Participate” form. Once received, the Detroit Lions Foundation will contact Michigan high schools about potential grant opportunities to launch their girls flag football teams.
