The Maricopa County Community Colleges serve as a hub of education and opportunity for countless students across Arizona. 

Flag football is a fast-growing sport with positive impacts on physical health, teamwork, and personal development. It fosters inclusivity and can propel the empowerment of young women by providing them an equal footing in collegiate sports. With burgeoning interest in flag football nationally, now is the moment for Maricopa to step up and offer this exciting and engaging sport to its female students. The National Federation of State High School Associations reported a 40% increase in female participation in flag football over recent years, highlighting a trend that Maricopa should actively support. During the year 2023, nearly half a million girls between the ages of 6 and 17 played flag football, with 43,000 played the sport in high school. However, sadly there is a very limited number of colleges and universities who currently offer the sport for those girls after high school. Some AI sources say there are only 65 of those college and universities that offer flag football, with many more coming in the next year or two. I have counted 54 higher education institutions that do so on the NCAA D2, D3, NAIA, and junior/community college levels. The NCAA has recently recommended that all schools within their 3 levels add the sport as part of their “Emerging Sports for Women” program. In fact, our very own Arizona Christian University in Glendale and Ottawa University in Surprise will be fielding girls flag football teams for the 2026 season and even Arizona State University will have their first girls flag football as a club sport starting this fall, playing teams from the Conference Carolina conference. 

The state of Arizona has had some very good success with girl’s flag football since the sport became official. During the 2024 fall season, we had 3 state high schools finish in the final top 25 national rankings. According to USA Today, Hamilton finished at #3, Mountain View High School at #15, and Marana High School in Tucson finished the season at #23 in the entire country. That’s pretty darn good considering there are more than 1,600 high schools across America that fields a girl’s flag football team. According to AZPrep365, 102 high schools across Arizona have a girl’s flag football team across the 4A, 5A, and 6A classes. When you have a record of a combined 48 wins and 5 loses as those 3 teams did, you have some serious talent, they just need a place to continue playing a sport that they love. 

The popularity of girl’s flag football is so high in demand that the sport will debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for both men and women. Even the NFL has taken a great interest in the sport. According to the website www.nflflag.com “Today, with more than 750,000 participants, NFL FLAG continues to evolve. It’s a pathway for female athletes to play in college, as well as an outlet for tackle athletes to compete in the offseason. But as NFL FLAG grows, one thing stays the same: It’s a place for every boy and girl to play football.” Speaking of NFL teams and college flag football, the Minnesota Vikings is sponsoring girls flag football at 6 NCAA D2 and D3 colleges and universities, taking the field during the 2025 season. This could be a huge investment opportunity for our Arizona Cardinals to take with our high school aged female students with the ten Maricopa County Community Colleges. 

With the Maricopa County Community College District sponsoring flag football for girls would be a great way to drive up enrollment of females, keep those future leaders of our communities, doctors, lawyers, business owners, here locally. Several reasons that people choose to go to a community college, including cost of tuition, not wanting to move to far away from family and home, opportunities those schools provide, etc. Imagine the opportunities this sport can open for young women: scholarships, team spirit, leadership skills, and a chance to shine on the field. These benefits extend beyond college to foster community engagement and pride. Additionally, flag football requires less infrastructure and equipment compared to other sports, making it a cost-effective option for the college administration.

By bringing girls flag football to Maricopa County Community Colleges, we are not just leveling the playing field but setting a precedent for progressive and inclusive sports programs. It's time that Maricopa County acknowledges the huge potential and demand for this sport. Join us in urging the Maricopa County Community College District to take a bold step forward in women's sports. Please sign this petition to express your support for introducing this transformative sport at our community colleges.