NFL Flag Championships Heads to Grand Park This Summer
NFL Flag Championships Heads to Grand Park in Westfield This Summer
WESTFIELD, Ind. — The largest youth flag football tournament in the world is coming to Westfield, Indiana, this summer.
The third annual NFL Flag Championships Presented by Toyota will take place at the Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus from July 23-26, with the championship games scheduled for Sunday, July 26. The NFL made the announcement on Tuesday.
“We’re thrilled to bring the NFL Flag Championships to Westfield, Indiana, for what will be our biggest and most exciting tournament yet,” said Peter O’Reilly, NFL EVP of Events, International and Club Business. “Flag football’s global growth, accelerated by its upcoming inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, has been remarkable, and that momentum will be on full display with thousands of young athletes traveling from around the world to compete in the NFL Flag Championships.
Operated by RCX Sports, this year’s tournament will feature over 350 boys and girls teams from around the globe. The event will also be broadcast live on multiple ESPN and Disney channels, as well as NFL+.
“The NFL Flag Championships have truly become the premier global stage for youth football,” said Izell Reese, CEO of RCX Sports. “Each year, the event continues to raise the bar in scale, competition, and overall impact.”
Leaders in Westfield and Hamilton County said they’re excited to host this NFL event, which has an international audience.
“As the nation’s largest and preeminent youth sports campus in the country, we are thrilled to have been selected by the NFL for this world-class event,” Co-Chief Executive Officer of Grand Park Sports & Entertainment Greg Stremlaw said. “As the operator of the campus, it has been a key objective of ours to diversify our sports base and we are investing significantly into flag football in multiple ways as part of a multi-faceted flag football vision.
“Hamilton County, Indiana, has built a reputation as a destination where champions play, and we are certain that this NFL Flag Championship at Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus will be one to remember,” said Hamilton County Tourism President & CEO Karen Radcliff. “Our team looks forward to welcoming these world-class athletes to Hamilton County, thanks to collaborative efforts by our affiliate the Hamilton County Sports Authority and our partners throughout the region.”
Flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with 20 million players globally. It will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.
Flag football is now offered for girls at the high school level in 38 states. More than 100 colleges and universities across the country now have women’s flag football programs.
In Indiana, the Colts have worked to grow youth flag football across the state, including with the launch of the Colts Flag Football Leagues. The franchise has also committed $1 million to support girls’ high school flag football.
NFL Flag Championships Heads to Grand Park in Westfield This Summer was originally published on wibc.com
