Girls Flag Football in Tennessee
Sanctioned Tennessee recognizes girls' flag football as a varsity sport with a state championship.
Is girls' flag football a varsity sport in Tennessee?
Yes. Girls' flag football is sanctioned by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), with a state championship. First sanctioned season: 2024-25. Checked against TSSAA's own materials on 2026-11-01.
Does Tennessee have girls' flag football?
Yes. High schools in Tennessee play girls' flag football as a TSSAA-sanctioned sport. The season is played in spring.
When is girls' flag football season in Tennessee?
Spring; 2027: practice from 8 February, contests from 1 March, region tournaments by 15 May, state championship 20-21 May 2027 (Murfreesboro). From TSSAA's own materials.
Can you play college flag football in Tennessee?
Yes. We have checked 6 varsity women's flag football programs at colleges in Tennessee: Cumberland University (NAIA), Freed-Hardeman University (NAIA), Jackson State Community College (NJCAA), King University (NCAA D-II), Milligan University (NAIA), University of Tennessee Southern (NAIA). Each is confirmed from its conference's, college's or governing body's own pages.
The details
| Governing body | Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) |
|---|---|
| First sanctioned season | 2024-25 |
| Season | Spring; 2027: practice from 8 February, contests from 1 March, region tournaments by 15 May, state championship 20-21 May 2027 (Murfreesboro) |
| Participating schools | 155 |
| State championship | Yes, first held 2026 |
| Rule set | NFHS with TSSAA adoptions |
Checked on 2026-11-01 against TSSAA's association sport page and classification portal.
TSSAA runs girls flag football in two classes, A and AA, each split into eight regions. Its published classification for 2025-26 lists 155 participating schools, 81 in Class A and 74 in Class AA. Region champions must be decided by 9 May and advance to the State Championships in Murfreesboro on 14-15 May. Schools set their own regular-season schedules. TSSAA uses the NFHS Flag Football Rules Book with its own published state adoptions. The TSSAA Legislative Council sanctioned girls flag football as an emerging sport on 9 April 2024; emerging sports get a postseason invitational rather than a state championship and must complete a one-year trial (TSSAA, https://tssaa.org/girls-flag-football-emerging-sport-information). Reporting says the Board of Control added a state championship in 2025, played in spring from 2026. For 2027 the TSSAA lists first practice on 8 February and first contests on 1 March, with region tournaments finished by 15 May and the state championship on 20-21 May 2027 at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex in Murfreesboro: pool play on 20 May, then a single-elimination bracket on 21 May.
College programmes in Tennessee
Varsity women's flag football programmes based in Tennessee, checked against conference or school sources:
- Cumberland University — NAIA, Mid-South
- Freed-Hardeman University — NAIA, Mid-South
- Jackson State Community College — NJCAA
- King University — NCAA D-II, Conference Carolinas
- Milligan University — NAIA, SSAC
- University of Tennessee Southern — NAIA, SSAC
See all checked college programmes.
How states sanction the sport
Every association sets its own requirements before it adds a sport. Our guide to how states sanction girls' flag football compares them.
Where Tennessee fits nationally
23 states and the District of Columbia have sanctioned girls' flag football as a high school sport, by our count, and Tennessee is one of them. See the national tracker for every state, or why published counts differ.
Neighboring states
- Alabama Sanctioned
- Arkansas Not sanctioned
- Georgia Sanctioned
- Kentucky Sanctioned
- Missouri Pilot
- Mississippi Sanctioned
- North Carolina Sanctioned
- Virginia Unconfirmed
Equipment rules in Tennessee
| Headgear | Soft headwear only |
|---|---|
| Mouthguard | Required |
| Flags | Three ("triple threat") in the postseason; required for all games from 2028 |
| Ball | Tan; NFHS Authenticating Mark from 2028 |
From TSSAA 2026-27 adoptions and rules meeting (2026-27). The NFHS rules apply where the state is silent — see equipment rules by state.
Tennessee girls' flag football state champions
| 2026 AA | Ravenwood def. Mt. Juliet, 27-25 |
|---|---|
| 2026 A | Creek Wood def. Merrol Hyde, 25-6 |
From the TSSAA's own record. Every final we have confirmed is on our state champions page.
Funding for girls' flag football in Tennessee
- Tennessee Titans: A High School Girls Flag Football Grant Program offering financial help with start-up costs for participating schools. The page gives no amount, application process or deadline. Ask the Titans' community team. (Titans grant page)
National grants open to schools anywhere are in our directory of girls' flag football grants.
More on girls' flag football
- How to start a girls' flag football team
- Grants and NFL club funding for girls' flag football
- Girls' flag football state champions, every state
- Women's flag football scholarships by division
- Flag football at the 2028 Olympics: where high school fits
- High school girls' flag football rules: the FAQ
- Equipment rules by state: headgear, mouthguards, flags, cleats
- How many girls play flag football, by state
- The sanctioning timeline, state by state
- When girls' flag football season is played in each state
- How the rules differ from state to state
- The pathway from high school to college
- Every state and the District of Columbia