NJSIAA approves girls’ flag football as a state-sanctioned sport
With the help of the Eagles, Giants, and Jets, New Jersey became the 21st state to sanction the sport.
The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) voted Monday to approve girls’ flag football as a sanctioned sport, beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
“The rise of girls flag football in New Jersey reflects a strong collaborative effort, and we’re thankful to the many partners who have supported student-athletes throughout this journey,” Colleen E. Maguire, NJSIAA executive director, wrote in a statement. “The National Football League, including the Philadelphia Eagles, has been instrumental in raising awareness and creating opportunities from the outset, and that ongoing commitment has helped build the solid foundation we see today.”
Since 2023, the Eagles partnered with Giants and Jets to help grow girls’ flag football at the youth level in New Jersey. The Eagles hosted the Final Four and state championships for New Jersey’s high school girls flag leagues, which have included Mastery High School of Camden and Kingsway Regional High School over the last three years.
“This is a landmark moment for both the game of football and the state of New Jersey,” wrote Eagles chairman and CEO Jeffrey Lurie. “From the earliest days supporting girls’ flag football, we believed in the sport’s ability to grow and create meaningful opportunities for young female athletes. What started as an ambitious goal to get the sport sanctioned in Pennsylvania has evolved into an ongoing pursuit to expand the sport beyond state lines.”
» READ MORE: Girls' flag football has been on the rise over the past three years, thanks in part to the Eagles
In September 2024, the PIAA made girls’ flag football a state-sanctioned sport. This is its first season of competition. Participation has continued to grow in the state and national level.
In 2026, more than 140 schools in New Jersey fielded a team, and now 21 states offer girls’ flag as a sanctioned sport.
