Concordia College joins Minnesota Vikings’ new women’s flag football league

March 3rd, 2025 - Concordia College is set to kick off its inaugural women's flag football season this spring as part of an initiative spearheaded by the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings announced on March 3 the launch of a collegiate women's flag football league in collaboration with six NCAA institutions, including Concordia. The other participating schools are Augustana University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Bethel University, the University of Northwestern, St. Paul, and the University of Wisconsin, Stout.   

With support from the NFL, the Vikings are providing $140,000 in funding to help establish the league and support participating schools.

Teams will compete in a series of jamborees in April before culminating in a championship tournament on April 26 at Twin Cities Orthopedic Performance Center. The facility, in Eagan, Minnesota, serves as the Vikings' headquarters and home of training camp.

Schedule of events:

• Saturday, April 5 — Jamboree at University of Northwestern, St. Paul
• Saturday, April 12 — Jamboree at University of Wisconsin, Stout
• Saturday, April 26 — Championship tournament at TCO Stadium     

"This is a significant moment for the continued growth of girls' and women's flag football," said Vikings Vice President of Social Impact Brett Taber. "These seven institutions are set to do something unique, and their partnership with the Vikings and the NFL will bring further awareness to the future of women's football and empower the next generation of athletes to find opportunities to compete and shape this game."

Breanna Nelson '24 will be the coach for women's flag football.

Leading Concordia's team will be Breanna Nelson, an assistant coach for the Cobbers' women's soccer team. Nelson, a 2024 Concordia graduate and a 2020 Davies High School alum, is eager to be part of this historic moment.

"I'm a lifelong football fan, but there's always been a disconnect with no girls or women playing," Nelson said. "I'm excited that our students are getting this incredible chance to step out onto the field and compete in a new way."

Concordia Athletic Director Rachel Bergeson has been working closely with the Vikings to bring this opportunity to campus.

"We're proud to be part of this initiative that advances women's sports," Bergeson said. "This is about more than competition, it's about breaking barriers. I looked forward to seeing the energy and passion our players will bring to this program."

Further details regarding the jamborees and the championship tournament will be shared later.

About Minnesota Vikings Girls Flag Football

Since 2022, the Minnesota Vikings have supported the growth of girls' and women's flag football, increasing opportunities for athletes at the middle and high school levels and supporting the pathway for women to play in college.

The organization has allocated more than $600,000 toward statewide and regional girls' flag football efforts, helping reduce financial barriers for girls to play and assisting with transportation and facility costs and coaches' and officials' stipends. 

After partnering with Minneapolis Public Schools to pilot a middle school girls flag program in 2022, the Vikings saw eight (8) total districts participate in the middle school program in 2024. The team has also been working with high school programs throughout the state and expects to announce the state's first high school girls flag football league in Spring 2025.

The Vikings hope to expand the initiative to schools across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa and believe providing financial support and other resources may help remove barriers so more schools can introduce programs.

Through a longstanding partnership with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), the Vikings have held multiple conversations with MSHSL representatives regarding the goal of establishing girls high school flag football as a varsity sport in Minnesota.

Additionally, the team spearheads the Minnesota Girls Flag Initiative Committee comprised of high school athletic directors, varsity football coaches, MSHSL representatives, and other leaders passionate about the sport.

Flag football is the nation's fastest-growing emerging high school sport and, as of February 2025, 14 states have girls flag football sanctioned at the high school level (Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee).