NFL Archives - Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation

When the NCAA voted on January 16, 2026, to add women’s flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women program, the news traveled fast. New programs announced. A Power 4 school signed on. Olympic excitement kept building for Los Angeles 2028. But a quieter story is emerging: the one about who built the pipeline that made the decision possible.

The answer matters to the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation because it is our own story told in reverse. A group of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), a conference commissioner, and a network of women coaches and executives did not wait for the sport to be legitimized. They built first, and the NCAA caught up.

This is what access looks like when it is created on purpose.

A Sport Growing at Extraordinary Speed

The numbers are unlike anything else in high school athletics. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), girls flag football participation reached 68,847 athletes in the 2024-25 school year, a 60 percent jump from the year before, and a 388 percent increase since the first post-pandemic NFHS survey. Nearly 1,000 additional schools added the sport in a single year. Sixteen states have sanctioned it at the varsity level, with 22 more running pilot programs.

At the college level, the trajectory is even sharper. At least 40 NCAA schools planned to sponsor flag football at the varsity level for the 2025-26 academic year, with tracking from sport leaders anticipating as many as 60 schools participating in spring 2026. Eighteen Division I programs have now committed, with the University of Nebraska becoming the first Power 4 school to announce, followed by the Big South becoming the first Division I conference to sponsor the sport. And women’s flag football makes its Olympic debut at LA28 alongside the men’s competition, with six nations qualifying per event.

Growth alone, though, is not the story. What’s just as important is who owned the growth when it started, and who still shapes it now.

HBCUs Moved First

In April 2024, Alabama State University announced that it would launch the first Division I women’s flag football program at any HBCU. The Hornets played their inaugural season in spring 2025 and, in the offseason, awarded the first-ever Division I scholarship in the sport to Ki’Lolo Westerlund, a player who had already appeared in the NFL Flag 50 commercial during Super Bowl LIX alongside NFL stars Marshawn Lynch, Myles Garrett, and Justin Jefferson.

The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) – founded in 1912 and the oldest HBCU athletic conference in the United States – began playing women’s flag football as a club sport that same spring. Winston-Salem State University won the inaugural CIAA championship. In 2026-27, the CIAA becomes the first HBCU conference to sponsor the sport at the varsity level. Other HBCUs, from Edward Waters University to Florida Memorial University to Xavier University of Louisiana, are building programs of their own.

These decisions were not reactions to a national trend; they were the trend. HBCUs demonstrated viability – real rosters, real games, real championships – before the NCAA opened the door.

The Commissioner at the Center of the Vote

When the NCAA’s three divisions voted to approve women’s flag football as an emerging sport, the recommendation came through the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity, and Impact. The chair of that committee is Jacqie McWilliams Parker.

McWilliams Parker has served as CIAA Commissioner since 2012. Her appointment that year made her the first African American female commissioner representing all three NCAA divisions — Division I, II, and III.

When the Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact held its first meeting in October 2025, consolidating the work of four longstanding NCAA equity committees, she was named to chair. She called the emerging-sport decision “a meaningful step toward expanding access, equity, and opportunity.”

The symmetry is hard to miss. The first HBCU conference to sanction the sport is led by the same woman whose committee drove its national recognition, which then accelerated adoption at every level, including the Power 4. Access, built on purpose, opened doors that most others would have considered closed.

Women Coaches Are Writing the Playbook

At the high school level, the coaching pipeline for girls flag football has largely been built by women who saw what the sport could become before most athletic directors did. Jennifer Constuble, who formed the first NFL Flag affiliate program in her California county starting in 2003, became Alabama State’s first head coach and the first head coach of any Division I women’s flag football program. She stepped down after a single season in August 2025, a reminder that emerging sports still face real growing pains when it comes to sustaining leadership.

Alabama State’s current head coach tells a different version of the same story. Tyrone Poole was a first-round NFL Draft pick in 1995 and won two Super Bowls with the New England Patriots across 13 NFL seasons. He is also a proud graduate of Fort Valley State University, an HBCU in Georgia, and was selected for the 2026 Black College Football Hall of Fame class.

In February, he served as the NFC defensive coordinator at the NFL Pro Bowl flag football game. In his day job, he is building a first-of-its-kind Division I program at an HBCU.

The pipeline is not coincidental. When decision-makers reflect the communities a sport grows in, the sport grows differently and more sustainably.

A Blueprint That Works

For more than two decades, the Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation has made one fundamental argument: access to opportunities in football is not built by goodwill. It is built by institutions taking strategic and intentional steps to open doors and build a pathway. Progress follows a blueprint.

The rapid rise of women’s flag football serves as a powerful contemporary example of this blueprint in action. It demonstrates what is possible when institutions commit to a specific infrastructure: the NCAA created an emerging-sports category, the CIAA piloted competition, the RCX Sports Foundation funded grants, scholarships followed, state associations sanctioned play, and national rules were written. By focusing on these deliberate design choices, from the collegiate level to the Olympic stage, the sport has created a sustainable pipeline for players and coaches alike.

The growth of flag football illustrates the Foundation’s core belief: when a pathway is designed for inclusion and opportunity, it produces results. The work ahead is to continue applying this same discipline across all levels of the game to ensure every pipeline is built to last.

A League Worth Watching

LA28 will be the showcase. The harder work happens in the years before it: more states sanctioning, more conferences sponsoring, more coaches hired, more scholarships awarded, more media investment, more young players like Ki’Lolo Westerlund seeing themselves as the face of a sport that did not exist at this scale just five years ago.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance Foundation believes what we have always believed. Deliberate pipelines work. Institutional commitment works. Leaders who reflect the communities they serve make better decisions for those communities.

The women of flag football — the players, the coaches, the commissioners, the executives, the grandmothers who once cheered for Fritz Pollard and the granddaughters who will play in Los Angeles — are proving it again, right now, in real time.

We are proud to watch, cheer them on, and be their advocates. And we intend to help make sure the pipeline stays as open as the people who built it envisioned.

The 2025 NFL Draft delivered a moment that will be remembered for years to come. With the third overall pick, the New York Giants selected Abdul Carter, an edge rusher from Penn State, and in doing so, made history. Carter became the first openly Muslim player ever drafted in the top 10, a groundbreaking achievement that resonated far beyond the football field. As the crowd erupted and Carter’s name flashed across the screen, it was clear: this was more than just a draft pick. It was a historic symbol of progress.

For organizations like the Fritz Pollard Alliance (FPA), which has long championed diversity and inclusion in the NFL, Carter’s selection is a testament to the strides being made. The FPA’s mission—to ensure equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, religion, or background—found a powerful new example in Carter’s rise. His journey to the top of the draft not only highlights his exceptional talent but also continues to advance a broader shift toward a more inclusive NFL, where players from all walks of life can thrive.

The Scarcity of Muslim Players in the NFL

Carter’s historic draft position stands out even more when viewed against the backdrop of Muslim representation in the NFL. The numbers tell a stark story: out of over 1,700 active roster spots, fewer than 20 players are estimated to identify as Muslim at any given time. Names like Aqib Talib, a former first-round pick, and brothers Husain and Hamza Abdullah come to mind, and perhaps the most prominent is Ahmad Rashad, who, as Bobby Moore, was drafted fourth overall in 1972.

Rashad, one of the first Muslim athletes in any professional sport, helped put Muslim representation on the map in the 1970s, showing it was possible to excel at the highest levels. His illustrious career as a wide receiver, marked by four Pro Bowl selections, was followed by a high-profile role as a sportscaster, keeping him in the spotlight as a standout role model for younger generations.

But although there have been a handful of Muslim athletes who have excelled in the NFL, they remain exceptions in a league where Islamic athletes are rare. This scarcity isn’t surprising, however, when considering the broader context. Muslims make up just 1.1% of the U.S. population, and many come from communities where football may not be the primary sport or where access to elite training programs is limited.

Additionally, Muslim players often face unique challenges, such as balancing religious practices with the demands of professional football. Fasting during Ramadan, for example, can overlap with training camps, requiring extraordinary discipline and resilience—qualities Carter has clearly demonstrated. These challenges only make Carter’s achievement more remarkable.

Overcoming the Odds: Abdul Carter’s Journey to the Top

Abdul Carter’s rise to the No. 3 overall pick is a testament to his extraordinary talent and relentless work ethic. As an edge rusher at Penn State, Carter was a force to be reckoned with, known for his lightning-quick first step, powerful tackles, and ability to disrupt even the most seasoned offenses. His college career was decorated with accolades, including multiple All-American honors and a school-record 18 sacks in his final season. Scouts praised his versatility, noting his ability to play multiple positions along the defensive line, making him a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks.

But Carter’s journey wasn’t just about physical prowess. Behind the stats and highlights lies a story of determination. As a Muslim athlete, Carter navigated a path few have traveled, balancing his faith with the demands of elite competition. His success is a shining example of how diversity can enrich the game, bringing new perspectives and strengths to the field.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance has long advocated for creating opportunities for underrepresented groups to excel in the NFL, and Carter’s draft position is a reflection of that progress. Through initiatives like mentorship programs and diversity-focused events, the FPA has helped pave the way for players like Carter to reach their full potential, proving that talent knows no boundaries.

Inspiring Future Muslim Athletes to Excellence

Carter’s high-profile selection is more than just a personal triumph—it’s a source of inspiration for young Muslim athletes across the country. For many, seeing a player who shares their faith achieve such success in the NFL can ignite dreams that once seemed out of reach. Carter’s visibility as a Muslim player sends a powerful message: the NFL is a place where diversity is celebrated, and anyone with the talent and drive can succeed.

This moment echoes the broader impact of trailblazers in other underrepresented groups. Just as black quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson have inspired a new generation of athletes at the NFL’s most high-profile position, Carter’s success has the potential to do similar things for Muslim youth. His story could encourage more young Muslims to pursue football, knowing that their faith and background do not have to be barriers, but rather, part of what makes them unique.

A Step Forward for Diversity in the NFL

Abdul Carter’s selection as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is a milestone worth celebrating. It’s a historic moment for Muslim representation in the league and a powerful example of the progress being made toward a more inclusive NFL. For the Fritz Pollard Alliance, it’s another testament to the organization’s tireless work to break down barriers and create opportunities for all.

So, as we cheer for Carter in his rookie season and beyond, we’re not just rooting for a talented player—we’re rooting for a more diverse, inclusive NFL. And that’s a win for everyone.

Built to Last: Why HBCUs and Women Leaders Are Shaping the Future of Flag Football