CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – In 2021, the Tennessee Titans introduced an initiative to bring girls’ flag football to Middle Tennessee. Now, girls flag football will officially become a sanctioned high school varsity sport, which is set to be implemented during the 2024-25 school year.
The Titans announced the news on Monday, April 9 and said the TSSAA unanimously approved the motion to sanction girls’ flag football. With the confirmation, Tennessee is now the tenth state to sanction the sport.
“We are so grateful to TSSAA for today’s decision and their support of our girls flag football programs over the past several years,” said Burke Nihill, Titans President and CEO. “Girls flag football has emerged as one of the most competitive and exciting sports offered at the high school level and has already impacted the lives of many young athletes with the rise of collegiate opportunities within the sport. We look forward to seeing its reach grow across the state as it becomes an officially sanctioned sport.”
TSSAA has sanctioned girls’ flag as an “emerging sport,”, meaning 15 percent of TSSAA members are either currently participating in the sport or committed to participate once sanctioned. The Titans said they plan to continue to expand the sport across Tennessee.
Currently, Clarksville Montgomery-County is one of three areas to currently have a league in partnership with the Titans, along with Williamson County and Metro Nashville. Last year, during the inaugural season, West Creek High won the girls’ flag football championship over Montgomery Central.
Following the announcement, Clarksville Now spoke to one local girls’ flag football coach and he said the recognition is incredible.
“In terms of the TSSAA decision, I think it’s awesome,” Kirkwood High flag football coach Nick Percich said. “For young women and girls to be able to benefit from the greatest team sport we have and be recognized by the state is incredible. A lot of our girls have fallen in love with football and they’re crazy excited for what’s next in the sport.”