IHSAA Approves Girls Flag Football as “Emerging Sport” for Indiana High Schools in 2025

The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) has been busy lately, and I think it’s all good! Just the other day wrote about the IHSAA considering a “co-op agreement” for smaller schools with struggling programs looking to be more competitive. The IHSAA’s most recent vote could change the way high school football looks in the Hoosier State.

ALSO READ: Indiana's New High School Football Co-Op Proposal Could Be a Gridiron Game-Changer

The IHSAA has officially approved girls flag football as an “emerging sport,” which is the first step towards it becoming an officially sanctioned sport in Indiana. Officials say 65 schools have committed to fielding a team during the 2025-26 school year. A minimum of 100 participating schools are needed to be sanctioned.

Indianapolis Colts Donate $1 Million to Flag Football Future

The fact that girls' flag football has even gotten to this point is due in large part to the Indianapolis Colts and the Irsay family's commitment to promoting the sport. In 2023, they launched the Colts Girls High School Flag Football League with just eight teams. By 2024, the league had expanded to 27 teams, surpassing the 20-team requirement for the IHSAA's "emerging sport" designation.

The Colts aren’t done there, though – the organization has created the Road to 100 campaign. With a $1 million investment, they're aiming to support the launch of 100 girls' high school flag football teams across Indiana. Schools that commit to starting a team in 2025 can receive up to $10,000 each to cover expenses like equipment, uniforms, and coaching stipends.

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Indiana joins other states in what appears to be a national trend for girls on the gridiron. In Illinois, for example, girls flag football became an official high school sport in 2024, with over 100 teams participating in the inaugural state series. The sport will also be introduced to the world during the 2028 Summer Olympics.