“It’s so important to give opportunities to girls in any sport, which is amazing, but especially football. It’s forever been for the men, and now the girls are taking over, and it’s so exciting to watch,” said Naperville Central girls flag football player Caroline Schwartz. This story is sponsored by Fair Oaks Ford and Fair Oaks Lincoln .

In only its second season as an IHSA sport, girls flag football continues to see rapid growth in Illinois. The number of teams competing more than doubled from just over 100 in 2024 to 217 teams in 2025.

“I’m not surprised but more so excited because I feel like once we started a flag football program in the IHSA, I knew it was going to grow rapidly, so it’s not a surprise, but I’m really excited about it,” said Naperville Central girls

See Full Page