SAINT PETER, Minn. – The Gustavus Adolphus College athletic department announced today (Monday, March 3) it is partnering with five NCAA institutions and the Minnesota Vikings to launch a new collegiate women's flag football league. 

Participating institutions in the inaugural season include Augustana (S.D.), Concordia-Moorhead, Bethel, Northwestern-St. Paul, and UW-Stout. 

"We are excited to be included in this partnership with the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL," said Director of Club Sports Brett Petersen. "Our athletes at Gustavus are in a unique position to be a part of the first ever collegiate women's flag football league. We are grateful for this opportunity and we can't wait to begin."

The partnership is just one component of the department's initiative to grow club athletics on campus, now sponsoring over 300 club athletes and 14 sports. Gustavus will sponsor 16 club sports by the start of the 2025 spring season, first adding women's flag football followed by clay target.  

As part of the partnership, the Vikings, with support from the NFL, will contribute a total of $140,000 to support the league and the participating schools. 

Teams will compete in jamborees this April at Northwestern-St. Paul, and UW-Stout, leading up to the championship tournament at TCO Stadium in Eagan on Saturday, April 26. 

The jamboree schedule is as follows: 
- Sat., April 5 - Jamboree at Northwestern-St. Paul
- Sat., April 12 - Jamboree at UW-Stout
- Sat., April 26 - Championship tournament at TCO Stadium

"This is a significant moment for the continued growth of girls' and women's flag football," said Vikings Vice President of Social Impact Brett Taber. "These institutions are set to do something unique, and their partnership with the Vikings and the NFL will bring further awareness to the future of women's football and empower the next generation of athletes to find opportunities to compete and shape this game."

The Vikings and representatives from the participating schools will host a press conference at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center this Wednesday, March 5, at 11:30 a.m. Individuals will also be available for one-on-one interviews following the availability.

For more information, to RSVP for the scheduled media availability or to arrange one-on-one interviews with participating schools, please contact Vikings Corporate Communications and Media Services Associate Sydney New at news@vikings.nfl.net or 612-456-0687. Further details regarding the jamborees and the championship tournament will be shared later.

About Minnesota Vikings Girls Flag Football 

Since 2022, the Minnesota Vikings have supported the growth of girls' and women's flag football, increasing opportunities for athletes at the middle and high school levels and supporting the pathway for women to play in college. The organization has allocated more than $600,000 toward statewide and regional girls' flag football efforts, helping reduce financial barriers for girls to play and assisting with transportation and facility costs and coaches' and officials' stipends. After partnering with Minneapolis Public Schools to pilot a middle school girls flag program in 2022, the Vikings saw eight (8) total districts participate in the middle school program in 2024. The team has also been working with high school programs throughout the state and, after piloting a program in 2024, expects to announce the state's first high school girls flag football league in Spring 2025. 

The Vikings hope to expand the initiative to schools across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa and believe providing financial support and other resources may help remove barriers so more schools can introduce programs. Through a longstanding partnership with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), the Vikings have held multiple conversations with MSHSL representatives regarding the goal of establishing girls high school flag football as a varsity sport in Minnesota. Additionally, the team spearheads the Minnesota Girls Flag Initiative Committee comprised of high school athletic directors, varsity football coaches, MSHSL representatives, and other leaders passionate about the sport. 

Flag football is the nation's fastest-growing emerging high school sport, and as of Feb. 2025, 14 states have girls flag football sanctioned at the high school level (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania and Tennessee).