Texas Moves To Launch H.S. Girls Flag Football Pilot Program

High school girls flag football and Texas would seem like a no-brainer, but it has been a surprisingly long road to sanctioning.

And while traffic has finally picked up, there is still a ways to go.

The UIL — the state’s governing body for high school sports — has finally signed off on a girls flag pilot program after punting several times.

But it will not launch for another two years.

Set to kick off in 2028-29 academic year
State education commissioner still must approve
Undecided what season competition will occur
Only two classifications to start; Classes 5A, 6A will be prioritized
Schools may be allowed to play up

Tempering the excitement: Only 52% of the superintendents in those classes — the state’s largest — support sanctioning the sport, according to The San Antonio Express-News.

School budget constraints are often cited as a reason for Texas to not jump headfirst into the fast-growing sport. But the state’s NFL teams are taking that excuse off the table in many ways.

The Cowboys and Texans have made significant investments into their own pilot programs, including a first-ever state championship event last June. The Texans have previously said they expect 270 schools and close to 6K athletes to compete in 2027.

Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have sanctioned girls flag so far. Indiana is expected to become the 26th state next year; Missouri appears to have the inside track to be the 27th.

As always: Be sure to bookmark our girls flag sanctioning tracker.

The flag process in Texas has been strange, but sanctioning feels inevitable now that there is a pilot program on the books. And it is another reminder that NFL teams can make a major impact getting states on board.

Something I am watching for: When -- and how -- the league gets involved in the 11 states (by our count) that do not have pilot programs, whether they are powered by a governing body or a team/organization.

Those states: Arkansas, Idaho, Maine, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Some of them would have obvious partners -- the Patriots could get involved with the New England states, for example -- but others are a bit more isolated.