Governor Healey Calls for Girls Flag Football to Become Official MIAA Varsity Sport

Governor Healey Calls for Girls Flag Football to Become Official MIAA Varsity Sport

Participation has grown from eight Massachusetts high school teams in 2023 to 90 teams in 2026

BOSTON — Governor Maura Healey called for girls flag football to become an official Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) varsity sport, citing its rapid growth across Massachusetts and the opportunities it is creating for young women to compete, lead and represent their schools.

“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,” wrote Governor Healey. “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.” 

“One of the best parts of this job is hearing directly from students about what they want to see in their schools, and students have been clear that they want girls flag football to be recognized as an official MIAA varsity sport,” said Education Secretary Steve Zrike. “Young women across Massachusetts have made their voices heard. Their advocacy and the remarkable growth of the sport across the state show the enthusiasm behind it. I’m grateful to stand with Governor Healey in supporting these student-athletes and expanding this opportunity to even more students and schools.”

“Governor Healey has been a champion for girls flag football and the young women who are driving its remarkable growth across Massachusetts,” said Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of the New England Patriots. “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. 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.”

Making girls flag football an official varsity sport would provide student-athletes with greater recognition and a more consistent competitive structure, while creating more opportunities for girls to represent their schools, build leadership skills and experience the benefits of interscholastic athletics.

Governor Healey has consistently supported expanding opportunities for girls and young women in sports. In August, she joined girls flag football players at Patriots Training Camp to celebrate the growth of the sport and the athletes helping lead its expansion across Massachusetts.

The sport is also growing beyond the high school level. Collegiate programs are expanding across the country, creating new opportunities for student-athletes to continue competing after graduation, and flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Participation in high school girls flag football has increased for five consecutive years and recently hit another all-time record. In 2021-22, there were 15,716 girls participating in flag football nationally. That number has now ballooned to 102,360 – an increase of 87,000 participants in just four years. Last year alone, participation in girls flag football increased 48.7 percent, and the sport now ranks in the Top 10 most popular among girls.

Under a process approved by the MIAA Board of Directors in 2025, sports can seek designation as an “Emerging Sport” under MIAA governance before potentially advancing to championship status as participation grows. The process requires support from at least 15 percent of MIAA member schools.

The New England Patriots Foundation launched a girls high school flag football pilot with eight Massachusetts schools in 2023. Participation grew to 23 teams in 2024 and reached 90 teams during the 2026 season.

Governor Healey is supporting the effort to secure official MIAA recognition for girls flag football and ensure that student-athletes who want to play have access to the same recognition, support and competitive opportunities as athletes in other varsity sports.