The 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles will be the first Olympics to feature more women than men, including five new women’s events. One of the new additions to the program is women’s flag football, a decision that comes as participation in the sport continues to increase across the United States.
“This is the fastest growing sport in America, and flag football is truly, truly changing the game for girls in sports,” Alia Pasternak, the founder and president of USC’s newly formed women’s flag football team said.
The International Olympic Committee approved flag football for the 2028 Games in October 2023. The sport, a non-contact version of football, has seen growing interest at the youth and high school levels, particularly among girls.
USC’s women’s flag football team was announced at the start of the 2025-2026 school year, and will compete as a club program as interest continues to grow. The team follows a developmental model with no cuts, allowing beginners and experienced players to train together.
Pasternak, a freshman business major, decided she wanted to bring flag football to her college campus before she even go to USC. Flag football became a California Interscholastic Federation(CIF)-sanctioned sport when she was a junior in high school, and her experience playing made her realize how limited opportunities were beyond that level.
“I knew wherever I went to college, I wanted flag football to exist there,” Pasternak said.
According to NFL Operations, nearly 21,000 girls competed in varsity high school flag football during the 2022–23 school year, an 86% increase over four years. However, that number remains small compared to the estimated 474,000 girls ages six to 17 who played flag football in the U.S. last year, showing the limited availability of organized opportunities beyond youth leagues.
When Pasternak arrived at USC, she began playing on a women’s league intramural team on campus. However, the intramural women’s team was quickly disbanded due to lack of attendance. The practices were Fridays at 10 p.m., which wasn’t ideal for many.
She decided to join a recreational league made up entirely of men. Even though she loved the sport, she didn’t feel as comfortable there as she had on her previous women’s team.
She wanted to “create a space where women, no matter their prior experience, have that space with good practice times too.”
Colleges across the country have begun responding to the sport’s growth. Schools such as Nebraska, Charleston Southern and Cal Poly have added women’s flag football as a Division I sport and now offer scholarships.
“Because of the Olympics, colleges are realizing they need programs before 2028,” Pasternak said. “If it wasn’t announced, I don’t think it would’ve had enough traction here. We had over 80 girls show up to our tryouts.”
Women’s flag football is also gaining attention through national competitions. The Fiesta Bowl will host a women’s flag football tournament on April 18 and 19, marking another step forward in the sport’s expansion at the collegiate level. USC is one of the teams to participate in the Fiesta Bowl.
“Being selected for the Fiesta Bowl with already established teams is a huge honor,” Pasternak said. “They saw our presence and our competitive drive.”
USC will compete alongside the University of Georgia, Arizona State, Alabama State, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Grand Canyon University and the University of Central Florida, making them the only California school participating.
“I would love for flag football to become a Division I varsity sport at USC during my time here,” Pasternak said.
She added that turning club programs into fully funded varsity teams is complicated by NIL policies, Title IX requirements and scholarship limitations.Inclusion in the 2028 Games has brought visibility to women’s flag football, but visibility alone does not guarantee sustained funding, scholarships or long-term institutional support.
At many universities, varsity status remains uncertain as athletic departments weigh gender equity requirements and financial constraints.
Pasternak says the uncertainty surrounding the sport reflects a larger national conversation.
“The game is continuing to evolve, and with that, you also have to continue to learn,”Pasternak said.
As Los Angeles prepares to host the Olympics for the third time, local colleges and club programs could influence how the Games impact women’s flag football beyond 2028. Programs like USC’s may show whether the sport’s increased visibility translates into lasting growth, including more teams, better resources and stronger support for players.
To keep up with the USC club team, follow @uscflagfb on Instagram.