The Vikings Are Bringing Girls’ Flag Football To North Dakota

Girls' Flag Football is officially a thing

It's one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, both at the collegiate and high school levels. According to the NCAA, girls' flag football has seen a rapid expansion at all levels, including the youth level. Between 2023 and 2025, more than 25,000 girls have signed up for high school teams alone, and it was recently added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.

At the high school level alone, nearly 1,000 new high school programs were added, with 17 states now officially sanctioning girls' flag football as a varsity sport, and North Dakota is about to get a taste.

The Minnesota Vikings Connection to Girls' Flag Football

According to a press release from the Minnesota Vikings, the Vikings and the Fargo Park District are launching a High School Girls' Flag Football program. This is a pilot program, which is open to girls in grades 9 to 12 from Fargo, West Fargo, Moorhead, Minnesota, and surrounding communities.

The North Dakota program will align with the Vikings' ongoing efforts to grow girls' flag football and empower young women through sport. This effort is hoping to lay the groundwork for future expansions across Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and North Dakota.

There will even be a state tournament

This will be a spring-based season consisting of an 8-week season, with weekly practices, 6 regular season games, playoffs, and an opportunity to compete for a state championship. Games will be played on Sundays. Teams will consist of a minimum of 10 players, with the capacity for up to 8 teams. The season is expected to begin the week of April 13th, 2026.

When could we see this in Bismarck-Mandan?

Do you think there will be interest in this sport for it to grow across the state? I sure do, I always loved my "powder puff" homecoming games. Bring it on to the Capital Region, too, Minnesota Vikings.