Detroit – The Detroit Lions have announced that the Michigan Girls High School Flag Football League will return for a “second season” in 2024. The season opens on April 29th and runs through May 19th. The program has grown from four teams in the pilot season. She was six times the size, with 24 schools and over 600 girls participating in her five pilot leagues. Each team will play three games, including one at Ford Field on Saturday, May 11th or Sunday, May 19th.
To celebrate the league's growth, players from the “Four Founding Schools” – Madison Heights Bishop Foley, Lapeer High School, Horry High School, and Rochester Community Schools – joined NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be drafted by the Detroit Lions. The first round picks have been announced. In the 2024 NFL Draft held in Detroit, cornerback Terion Arnold from Alabama was selected.
“These four girls are a testament to why we started this league,” said Chris Fritzing, executive director of football education for the Detroit Lions. “We have always been focused on improving opportunities for girls' soccer, and the increase in participation reaffirms our commitment. Interest is undeniable and Further growth is expected in the coming years to help establish “Michigan Girls.'' ”
The league's geographic footprint currently includes Detroit, with schools in Wayne, Washtenaw, Genesee, Livingston, Oakland, Lapeer, Calhoun and Baraga counties expanding across Michigan. The league is the first of its kind at the high school level in Michigan and is expected to join the 11 other states where girls' high school flag football is currently a state-sanctioned sport. To help promote women's flag football in the market, Nike provided the uniforms and USA Football provided the league with the necessary equipment.
This year, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is partnering with the Detroit Lions Foundation to provide $325,000 in grants over the next three years. This grant will serve as seed funding for schools in southeast Michigan looking to start high school flag programs or establish pipeline programs at the middle school level.
“The enthusiasm of girls in our community who want to participate in flag football is inspiring,” said Jim Boyle, vice president of programs and communications for the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. “Through our Project Play initiative in partnership with the Detroit Lions Foundation, we aim to bring the joy of girls flag football to even more middle schools and high schools across the region.”
Twenty-four schools were selected to participate in the league because they either have established girls flag programs or have expressed a strong interest in creating one. Detroit Lions Football Education Girls Flag Football Rulebook As the sport evolves, we have plans to change it to best meet the needs of our student-athletes and coaches. While creating new opportunities for girls to get involved in sports at school, the league structure allows girls to play even if they are participating in other spring sports.
Additional league information (standings, scores, photos) can be found at www.DetroitLions.com/girlsflag. Schools interested in participating in 2025 and beyond should visit the program's webpage and fill out the “Intent to Participate” form. Upon receipt, the Detroit Lions Foundation will contact Michigan high schools about potential grants to start girls' flag football teams.
Student-athletes interested in learning the game can attend the Detroit Lions Girls Flag Football Clinic for ages 8 to 17 this summer.
Saturday, June 22nd – Alpena High School (Alpena, Michigan)
Friday, July 19th – Ford Field (Detroit, Michigan)
Sunday, July 28th – Siena Heights University (Adrian, Michigan)
