Carolina Panthers, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to launch girls Flag Football league
The Carolina Panthers and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are launching a girls flag football league that will begin play this year.
The NFL team and the school system made the announcement Tuesday morning at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers will provide $50,000 in program funding, school resources and custom uniforms to help launch the project, which coincides with Wednesday’s National Girls & Women in Sport Day.
Girls flag football is a sanctioned sport in five states: Alabama, Alaska, Georgia, Florida and Nevada. There is not state championship played in Alabama or Alaska.
Florida was the first state to offer sport, starting in the 2002-03 school year after it had been a club sport within several schools for many years. To become a recognized sport, Florida required at least 48 schools to commit to having a season.
In Charlotte, the sport would start as an club level program to give high schools girls access and opportunity to play the sport.
“Our hope is this league will lead to increased participation by high schools across our region,” said Panthers director of community relations Riley Fields.
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 11:45 AM.
