EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings announced today the team has partnered with the Minnesota Star Tribune to further grow high school girls flag football throughout the state. The announcement comes as the state's first high school girls flag football league, supported through a $600,000 contribution from the Vikings, enters playoff competition next week. For a complete list of the 51 participating high schools, click here.
Along with increased coverage of the sport, the partnership includes a dedicated high school girls flag football page on the Star Tribune's MN Football Hub, with updated scores and stats from every contest. The Star Tribune will also be livestreaming the state's first championship tournament on June 9 on startribune.com all afternoon and evening.
"A flag football player recently told one of our reporters that she hopes the sport will 'uplift' her school, and we're here to help uplift this booming sport across Minnesota," said Chris Carr, the Minnesota Star Tribune's high school sports franchise director. "That player is right. This sport is already proving that it provides great opportunity to not only the girls and their teams but also to schools and communities. We're proud to play a small role in this special moment with our coverage and support."
The Vikings and the Star Tribune are also in discussions around a future co-hosted girls flag football event and a continued partnership in 2026.
"Girls flag football has seen tremendous interest and growth here in Minnesota," said Vikings Vice President of Social Impact Brett Taber. "Athletes, teams and communities are joining the movement, and we are proud to align with the Star Tribune in further highlighting these incredible athletes and their journey. To those schools and young women interested in being a part of this great sport, we are only just beginning and welcome you to join."
The 51 teams in the 2025 league completed doubleheaders for four consecutive weeks beginning in April and now will compete in the playoffs at select high schools this Sunday, June 1, before the state championship tournament occurs at TCO Stadium in Eagan on Monday, June 9. Details for acquiring tickets to the championship tournament, along with media logistics for covering the event, will be shared next week.
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, high school and collegiate levels. With the team's latest contribution toward Minnesota's first high school girls flag football league, the organization has allocated more than $1 million 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 total districts participate in the middle school program in 2024. Following a high school pilot program in 2024, the team launched the first high school girls flag football league in partnership with 51 schools in 2025. At the collegiate level, the Vikings partnered with seven NCAA institutions to introduce the region's first collegiate women's flag football league in 2025. The Vikings hope to expand the initiatives 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 February 2025, 14 states had 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).
