Did an NFL team sponsor girls flag football in SD?

The Minnesota Vikings sponsored girls flag football in partnership with the Sioux Falls School District’s Community Learning Centers (CLCs). 

The Vikings covered all startup costs, including coaching staff, uniforms and equipment. More than 200 high school and middle school students are participating in the program through the CLCs.

The sport was added to the NCAA’s emerging women’s sport list in January. It’s one of the fastest-growing sports in the country at the youth, high school and collegiate levels, according to the NCAA. Twenty-four states have state-sanctioned championships for the sport.

Flag football will debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics, which are being hosted in Los Angeles.

Since 2022, the Minnesota Vikings have invested more than $2 million to expand girls flag football. In 2026, the Minnesota high school league expanded into Iowa and North Dakota, in addition to South Dakota.