The Minnesota Vikings are cookin’ up something big, and nah, it’s not some blockbuster trade or draft steal. Fresh off the NFL Combine, they’re making waves in a whole different way. By putting women’s flag football on the map in a major way. Instead of just hyping up future pros, they’re making sure young women get a legit shot to ball out past high school.

The Vikings just teamed up with six NCAA schools to launch a collegiate women’s flag football league. Yup, college flag football is officially a thing in the Upper Midwest. With the sport blowing up across the country (and even making its Olympic debut in 2028), the Vikings aren’t just watching from the sidelines. They’re making sure women have a real pipeline to keep playing.

The season kicks off in April with teams pulling up to jamborees at the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, and the University of Wisconsin, Stout. Then, the real showdown happens at the championship tournament at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center. The schools that are in on the action? Augustana University, Concordia College, Gustavus Adolphus College, Bethel University, the University of Northwestern, and the University of Wisconsin, Stout.

And the Vikings aren’t just talking the talk—they’re dropping $140,000 (with NFL backing) to make sure these teams have everything they need to ball out. Vikings VP of Social Impact Brett Taber made it clear that this isn’t just about competition. It’s about building a whole movement for women in football, giving them opportunities and showing the next generation what’s possible.

Joe Rush, the Vikings’ Youth & High School Football Manager, called it a “monumental step forward,” and yeah, he’s got a point. Until now, high school girls who loved flag football kinda hit a dead end after graduation. This league changes that, giving them a real shot to keep playing and opening up new doors—whether on the field, as coaches, refs, or even in sports management.

The Vikings have been on this wave for a while, already throwing over $600,000 into middle school and high school flag football across Minnesota. And with nearly 500 NCAA schools showing interest in the sport, this could be just the beginning.

Moral of the story? The Vikings aren’t just waiting for women’s flag football to pop off—they’re making it happen. And with the sport growing at record speed, this move could be the thing that takes it from niche to next-level mainstream.

The Cowboys are changing the game ‘literally’

The Dallas Cowboys are making moves, but this time, it’s not about signing a star free agent or chasing a Super Bowl ring. Nope, Jerry Jones’ squad is shaking up the football world by officially launching the Dallas Cowboys Girls Flag Football League. And it’s already looking like a game-changer.

With nearly 100 high schools and 2,000 girls signed up. This isn’t just some feel-good side project—it’s a full-blown revolution. Nike is covering the jerseys, the Jones family is dropping $2.1 million to make it happen. And there’s even a pipeline leading straight to the 2028 Olympics, where flag football is making its debut. Basically, this isn’t a test run—it’s the future of football, and the Cowboys are making sure young women get a real shot to be part of it.

For Dak Prescott, this hits home. As a self-proclaimed “girl dad” (his second daughter is due this May), he’s all about breaking barriers. “I want them to grow up in a world where ‘can’t’ isn’t in the playbook,” he said. And he’s not alone—Charlotte Jones, the Cowboys’ exec and the first woman to chair the NFL Foundation, has been making moves for years, pushing for more opportunities for women in sports. “We’re not just building athletes; we’re building leaders,” she said.

And if there’s one person who knows what flag football can do, it’s Vanita Krouch. Her life story sounds like a movie—born in a Cambodian refugee camp. She came to Texas, picked up a football, and became an absolute legend. We’re talking three world championships, a 33-1 international record, and a nickname that even Tom Brady would respect. “Flag football isn’t a hobby—it’s a lifeline,” she said. Now, she’s helping these high school girls take the field and prove they belong.

For a lot of these girls, this league is bigger than just football—it’s about changing the culture. Some of them come from schools where football has always been a “boys-only” sport, but that’s not the case anymore. With coaching grants, top-tier training, and legit opportunities to play at higher levels. These young athletes aren’t just participating—they’re paving the way for the next generation.

With the Cowboys leading the charge, this flag football push is just getting started. The league’s rollout has been smoother than a Dak Prescott play-action fake. And with bigger stages (hello, Olympics) on the horizon, Texas football is about to look a whole lot different.