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10/30 05:00 CDT Women's flag football taking flight as pro leagues and series spring up with Olympics debut ahead Women's flag football taking flight as pro leagues and series spring up with Olympics debut ahead By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer Izzy Geraci recently left her job at the family's jewelry store to pursue another sort of precious metal --- Olympic gold. Because these days gems don't always have to be so hidden in women's flag football. She can make a living by what she's accomplishing on the field. Geraci, one of the top receivers in the world, may be the rare case now, but there are ever-expanding pathways for a sport that's been put on the fast track since the announcement of its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games. Pro leagues are springing up and, coming this February before the Super Bowl, a new series offering $500,000 in prize money. "The opportunities that are available in flag football right, it's the highest it's ever been," said the 26-year-old Geraci, a former Division I basketball player who is sponsored by the likes of Red Bull and Under Armour as she hauls in passes for USA Football's national team. "It's just going to continue to keep growing." Of course, not many can quit their day job just yet. Team USA defensive back/receiver Laneah Bryan is co-owner of MountainStar Solar and G.O.A.T. Roofing and Construction in El Paso, Texas, while Deliah Autry-Jones works as a pediatric physical therapist in Tampa, Florida. Kennedy Foster stays close to football by operating as the football development and marketing coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs. "Olympic athletes in general, it's a hard run for them, because most of them have full-time jobs," said Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who recently spoke in Paris about the necessity of more funds to support the U.S. women's flag football team. "I think that there should be some better pay for some of these individuals."

LA Games becomes the North Star for flag football The expanding global opportunities are due, in big part, to what's become a North Star for the sport --- the LA Olympics. Since flag football was approved in October 2023 for inclusion in the Summer Games, the exposure has gone through the roof. The NFL has been heavily involved, too, giving it even more clout. In 2025, more than 1.8 million girls and boys, ages 6 to 17, participated in flag football --- a 32% increase from the year before, according to USA Football's analysis of the Physical Activity Council's study data. Women's flag football is now sanctioned as a varsity high school sport in more than 20 states. On the college level, the involvement of schools keeps skyrocketing. There were approximately 45 schools in 2025-26 across all three divisions with commitments to flag football programs. This season, the total hovers around 139 and next year it's projected that more 170 varsity programs will be sponsored. The NCAA votes in January on whether to elevate the women's sport's championship status, meaning national title games could be held as soon as spring 2028. It's taking root in a pro setting, too, with leagues and showcases offering publicity and payouts. The recently announced Grand Slam of Flag, a global tournament series, will debut in Los Angeles before the Super Bowl and feature a $500,000 prize pool. The series, which counts Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan as a founding partner, brings in six of the top women's national teams: Canada, the U.S., China, Great Britain, Mexico and Spain. "The Olympics was the inflection point for the sport, no question, and it will go down in history as that, as it continues to be played," said Sam Rapoport, the commissioner of Grand Slam of Flag, which was launched by SMAC Entertainment, Creative Artists Agency and EverWonder Studio. "That really established the sport and moved it from what some people thought was a backyard sport into a legit competitive sport that deserves access at the highest levels." Rapoport has spent more than 20 years in the NFL space and counts Commissioner Roger Goodell as her mentor. A longtime flag football QB, Rapoport envisions big things for the sport. "We're turning women's flag football from an Olympic moment into a global sports business," she said. Rapoport and her team are digging into the best practices of Unrivaled, a women's 3-on-3 basketball league, the National Women's Soccer League and the WNBA to assist them in charting a path. Because "flag football is a nascent sport," Rapoport said, "and we have the opportunity to shape it." USA Football recently announced it will be hosting the Nations Cup, a showcase bringing together four of the world's top men's and women's national teams to compete for medals. It will be held Dec. 10-12 at the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys and consist of China, Mexico, Japan and the U.S. "Now athletes can see a path to play flag football from youth to middle school, high school, college, the pros," said Scott Hallenbeck, USA Football CEO and executive director, "and ultimately to the pinnacle of global sport, wearing their country's flag across their chests at the Olympics."

From the ice to the turf

Team Canada receiver Caroline Moquin-Joubert isn't quite ready to step away from her job as an accountant just yet (she's working for a firm in Montreal while completing her CPA designation). But she did trade in delivering passes on the ice for catching them on the field. Moquin-Joubert was a forward in hockey and a member of the flag football team at Concordia University before focusing her attention on flag. She helped Canada clinch an invitation to the LA Games by taking gold at the world championships in Germany over the summer. "Every single country has stepped up their level," Moquin-Joubert said. "The plays are better, the individual athletes are better, it's faster. As a spectator watching flag football now, it's such a beautiful sport." The day may come when flag football can pay the bills. It's the case for Geraci, who until a few months ago was a social media/marketing manager for her family's jewelry store in Ohio. In addition to sponsorship deals, Geraci's also a spokesperson/ambassador for TMRW Sports, which is developing a pro league in partnership with the NFL. "There's now more of a pipeline," Geraci said. "It's starting to be like any other sport." ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

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