NFL Professional Flag Football Leagues to Have 6 Teams Each
The professional flag football leagues debuting ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will have 6 men's and 6 women's teams. Greg Beadles, President & CEO of the Atlanta Falcons, shared the information while speaking to Sports Business Journal's Austin Karp.
Beadles sits on the NFL Flag Football Committee, which is responsible for expansion and commercialization of flag football. Beadles also noted that multiple NCAA Division I schools are interested in launching women's flag football programs, but did not disclose any names.
"This is one of the things I'm most excited about, Austin, is, you know, four years ago, if we just look at girls flag, for example, in high school, there were 16,000 girls playing high school flag football. This year, there's going to be over 100,000. So, just in that small four to five-year period, the way that it's grown has been amazing.
And so, we think about the accessibility for girls now to the game, to go from youth to high school, colleges. We're talking to, you know, Division I schools about adding programs, and they're very, very interested in that. To have this pathway that goes all the way through the Olympics, representing your country, there's not much better than that.
And then, pro. Before 2028, we'll have six women's pro teams and six men's pro teams. So, to be able to have that whole pipeline from, you know, age five or six all the way up to being a professional for women is a great thing for us."
Details about the pro flag league have been steadily revealed since the National Football League announced its initial investment in December 2025. NFL owners approved an investment of up to $32 million by the NFL via 32 Equity, the league's collective investment vehicle. In February, it was reported that TMRW Sports would operate the pro leagues, and the NFL officially announced it in March.
TMRW has been putting the pieces in place for the inaugural pro flag football season. Brendan Donohue will serve as the first president of the leagues, while Champ Kelly will serve as Senior Vice President. In June, TMRW and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) announced a strategic partnership designed to coordinate standards and calendars.
In July, it was revealed that the first season will take place in a single location, with a temporary structure hosting all the games. Populous will design the venue, and Transwestern will oversee the host city selection process. Future seasons are expected to expand to additional locations. SBJ also reported that $160 million is being invested in the professional flag football leagues.
Three ambassadors were also named throughout the summer. Current US Women's National Flag Football team members Ashlea Klam and Izzy Geraci will serve as ambassadors. Former national team player Vanita Krouch will serve as an ambassador and player liaison when the leagues launch.
In May, NFL Executive Vice President Peter O'Reilly stated the leagues would launch in "late spring-summer 2027" during an interview with Kay Adams on the Up & Adams Show. The language and wording used by the NFL and TMRW in press releases and interviews say the leagues will launch before the 2028 Olympic Games.
Additional details about the new leagues are expected in the coming months, including a league name, a logo, confirmation of the format (5-on-5, 7-on-7, etc.), location of the inaugural season, length and structure of the season, roster limits, coaching hires, team names/logos/identities, and broadcast partners.