Flag Football: Carving a new path at ND

The 2023-2024 school year has made way for quite a few firsts in Notre Dame’s community. This includes the fantastic new addition of Ashley Rae Mathis, Head of School, our newly refurbished gym floors and soundsystem, and to the intrigue of many students a never-before seen sport at ND. You may have seen them running laps around the quad or sporting their belts and flags, or laughing as they take a water break. Just in time for autumn, a new sport comes into play: flag football! Flag football is played almost identical to traditional football, with the main difference being that the tackling is replaced with the pulling of flags attached to each player’s belt. Being one of the fastest growing sports in the past five years, flag football has grown massively in popularity due to its inclusivity towards women. Many girls who wouldn’t have had the opportunity to pursue football because it was offered exclusively to boys will now have the chance to play. Isela Trujillo ‘26 says, “it’s the first time flag football has been made available as a sport at ND and it's making history…I'm excited to be a part of it”. 

Girls at ND are not just making history as the first flag football team, but carving a path for other girls after them. Taking on a sport whose participants and fanbase is largely male is something not often done until recently, as female dominated sports have become more and more popular. Despite the unfamiliarity of the new fall sport, 40 students tried out for the team. Out of those, about half were accepted. The first game that commenced the season was on Sept. 6, and the season will conclude Nov. 1. After the conclusion of a very exciting season, Notre Dame will have another successful and exciting experience under its belt!