Carolinas Women's Flag Football Championship Kicks Off in Durham

The tournament continues through the weekend, with the finals taking place on Sunday.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 11:05pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a women's flag football game, with overlapping planes of color and movement capturing the energy and competition of the sport.The Carolinas Women's Flag Football Championship highlights the rising prominence of female athletes in a sport long dominated by men.Durham Today

The Carolinas Women's Flag Football Championship began on Friday at the Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. The tournament will continue through the weekend, with the finals scheduled for Sunday. Many families are excited to cheer on their daughters as the sport of women's flag football continues to grow in popularity.

Why it matters

The growth of women's flag football at the youth, college, and professional levels reflects a broader trend of increasing participation and visibility of female athletes in traditionally male-dominated sports. The Carolinas championship is an opportunity to showcase the talent and passion of these female athletes.

The details

Eight teams qualified to compete for the Carolinas Women's Flag Football Championship title. After Friday's games, four teams will advance to Saturday's semifinal matches, with the winners playing in the championship game on Sunday. Families have traveled from as far as West Virginia to support their daughters, and many parents are excited to see women's flag football continue to gain traction.

  • The tournament kicked off on Friday, April 17, 2026.
  • The semifinals will take place on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
  • The championship game will be held on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

The players

Marcus Manning

The executive director of the Durham Sports Commission, who noted the exponential growth in female and women's sports participation in Durham.

Brian Hodge

A parent of a player on the Mount St. Mary's team, who said he is learning about flag football every week and is impressed by the power and strength of the young women competing in the sport.

Tammy Montalvo

A parent whose daughter has been playing flag football since her freshman year of high school, as the sport has been established in Las Vegas since 2016.

Deana Leibowitz

A parent who hopes to see flag football become a varsity sport in high schools across all 50 states.

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What they’re saying

“I'm learning every week because we've never played flag football before. Every week is a new experience for me. Watching all these young ladies that are so powerful and strong compete at this sport is incredible.”

— Brian Hodge, Parent

“She's been playing probably since a freshman in high school; luckily, Las Vegas has had flag football for girls since 2016. It's been really established there.”

— Tammy Montalvo, Parent

“This is her first year playing flag football. She fell in love with the sport when she was looking for colleges and Mount St. Mary's decided they were going to do a Division I program.”

— Brian Hodge, Parent

“In Durham, we're seeing exponential growth in participation in female and women's sports at the girls' level. This goes for youth, college, and even the professional level.”

— Marcus Manning, Executive Director, Durham Sports Commission

What’s next

The four teams that advance from Friday's games will compete in the semifinal matches on Saturday, with the winners moving on to the championship game on Sunday.

The takeaway

The Carolinas Women's Flag Football Championship is a testament to the growing popularity and acceptance of women's sports, particularly in traditionally male-dominated arenas. The tournament provides a platform for these talented athletes to showcase their skills and inspire the next generation of female sports enthusiasts.