NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Tennessee Titans and Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) today announced that they have partnered to bring an interscholastic girls flag football league to Nashville and Davidson County. The league is an expansion of the Titans’ effort to bring girls flag football to the state of Tennessee after a successful pilot season in Williamson County during the 2021-2022 school year.
The MNPS league will take place in Spring 2023 and feature 15 schools in its first year. Schools participating and the schedule structure for the season will be announced at a later time.
“Women make up approximately half of the Titans’ and NFL’s fan base, and it’s clear from our experience in Williamson County that young women in Tennessee are craving more ways to get engaged in the sport,” said Kate Guerra, Titans Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “Throughout the NFL, we’re seeing more women working in football operations and front office roles than ever before, and it’s very possible we’re fostering the next generation right here in our backyard. We couldn’t be more thrilled to expand this league to MNPS and look forward to seeing the students out on the field.”
MNPS and the Titans will collaborate with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) on the league as it continues to evaluate the potential to officially sanction the sport in Tennessee. TSSAA will advise in the area of game officials, championship planning, tournament format, rules interpretations, and any other areas that may be helpful in setting a framework for Girls' Flag Football to grow in Tennessee.
NFL FLAG, which has led efforts to expand women's flag football across the U.S. at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels, will also partner with the program to provide training and guidance.
“We couldn’t wait to partner with the Tennessee Titans to bring girls flag football to Metro,” said Mark North, Athletics Director for MNPS High Schools. “We are proud of our student-athletes and the tremendous amount of talent in our school district, and we can’t wait to offer young women a new avenue to engage with football and utilize their athletic abilities. A huge thanks to the Titans organization for making this a reality.”
The Titans have a long-standing commitment to developing youth football across its region. Throughout the season, the team honors High School Coach of the Week and Coach of the Year recipients and hosts the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards every fall. Recently, the team awarded over $350,000 in grants to youth football organizations across the state.