There was a lot of talk at the UIL’s legislative council meeting in Round Rock about the possibility of adding girls flag football as a sanctioned sport.
In September, Pennsylvania became the 13th state to sanction the sport, according to ESPN. The UIL said at the time, “For the UIL legislative council to consider sanctioning any new activity, there needs to be established programs and widespread participation across multiple districts and regions of the state, along with a strong push from member schools.”
It’s trending in that direction, but the UIL on Monday denied, rejected or took no action — it doesn’t specify which — on a proposal to add girls flag football.
Fort Worth and Houston ISDs already have leagues, and Dallas Cowboys youth development manager Danny McCray said Sunday he expects to see more than 75 schools playing the sport statewide this spring. By the spring of 2026, that could grow to 120 to 150, he said.
McCray, a former Cowboys player, said Dallas ISD has committed to playing and that school districts in Austin, El Paso, San Antonio and Brownsville are also expected to join by 2026.
The Cowboys were among 14 NFL teams that started a pilot program for the sport, and Houston ISD started a league in 2024 when the Houston Texans raised $1.4 million to fully fund girls flag football in every HISD high school for the next three years. Men’s and women’s flag football has been approved for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The progress wasn’t enough to convince the UIL to add girls flag football at this point.
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