In an effort to continue to help transform the landscape of women's flag football, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson and the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation are making a groundbreaking $1 million grant to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
This investment is designed to help the creation of the largest collegiate women's flag football league in the nation, launching in 2026, and it underscores the commitment by both the Johnson family and the Jets to expanding access and opportunity for women in the sport.
"Empowering young women through football has always been central to our mission," Jets chairman Woody Johnson said. "Partnering with the ECAC to launch this league creates a clear pathway for student-athletes to compete, grow, and lead -- on the field and beyond.
"The Jets ECAC Women's Flag Football League builds on the success of our high school girls' flag program, which opened doors for thousands of athletes across the region. Now, we're taking the next step: collegiate play, Olympic dreams, and a future professional league."
Game play will feature the 7-on-7 format of flag football. The season will kick off with a media day at MetLife Stadium in February, followed by a USA Football Talent ID Camp the next day. Regular-season games will be played February through April on campus sites, culminating in the championship game at MetLife Stadium during the first weekend in May.
"The launch of the Jets ECAC Women's Flag Football League represents a significant milestone for women's sports," said Troy Vincent Sr., the NFL executive vice president of football operations. "By establishing the largest collegiate women's flag football league, we are collectively building a future where young women can dream bigger and continue playing the sport they love in a competitive setting. Woody Johnson, the Johnson Family, and the New York Jets have been pioneers in this area, and we are proud to partner with them and the ECAC to empower the next generation of flag football athletes."
An uptick in women's flag football has been constant. Last February, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics recommended to add girl's flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program for Divisions I, II and III.
Flag football also is an Olympic sport and will make its debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
But this is nothing new to the Jets, who already have been aggressive in this area and began to invest in girl's flag football in 2011. They did the same with the New York City PSAL, which now has evolved to 60 teams. They expanded efforts to New York and New Jersey and funded 260 girl's flag club teams that now include over 7,500 girls, with the goal to make it a varsity sport in both states.
Flag football became a varsity sport in New York in 2024 and is poised to become a varsity sport in New Jersey in 2026.
Earlier this year, the Jets also started the first select team Jets Flag Elite, which is New Jersey-based and plays in tournaments around the country. They plan to start a Jets Flag Elite team in the United Kingdom in 2026.
"The ECAC is thrilled to be partnering with the New York Jets and the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation to provide a premium intercollegiate flag football league for hundreds of young women athletes interested in pursuing their athletics dreams," said Dan Coonan, ECAC commissioner.
"We couldn't be happier to be selected for this partnership. With 88 years of experience sponsoring first-rate intercollegiate athletic competition, we believe we are uniquely suited to bring this bold initiative to life. Our sincere thanks to Woody Johnson, the Jets, and the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation for their transformative vision and generous commitment to advancing this emerging sport. We can't wait to get started."