Women's flag football kicks off at Concordia

The inaugural season of women's flag football officially kicked off on Concordia's campus and the excitement is palpable. Earlier this month, the Minnesota Vikings announced that they would be launching a collegiate women's flag football league in collaboration with six NCAA institutions, including Concordia College, and since this announcement, the campus has been buzzing with anticipation.

The heightened interest in flag football has been brewing for quite some time. In August, the International Olympic Committee announced that flag football would be a part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, sparking massive attention on the sport across the country. This will include both men's and women's teams and has been heavily marketed and supported by the NFL.

With the increase in interest for women participating in flag football and an overall increase in viewership and support, it's an exciting time in the world of women's sports.

Bre Nelson wasn't expecting to be the head women's flag football coach. As an assistant coach and former member of the Concordia women's soccer team, Nelson was content giving back and mentoring her former team. But when the opportunity arose to also take on this new role, she jumped at the chance and didn't look back.

"How could I ever pass this up? This is an opportunity I wish had been available when I was a student here and I am really excited to be a part of," Nelson said.

As a lifelong Kansas City Chiefs fan, Nelson came into her role with knowledge of the game of football but knew she was going to have to study up on the rules of flag football. In a move very reminiscent of, yet mirrored with, the character Ted Lasso, Nelson found herself on a flight to England, a trip she had planned prior to becoming the head coach, poring over the rules, regulations, and nuances of flag football.

"I spent the flight looking up on YouTube full games of 5v5 flag football and just watched them to really see the style of play and try to pick up on the little things," she said.

When asked about the makeup of the team, Nelson said that there is a great mix of individuals who are a part of other athletics programs at Concordia but also those for whom this is their first introduction to participating in a sport on the collegiate level.

Darby Hannan '26 of Bozeman, Montana, is no stranger to being involved on campus. A member of the women's soccer team and now flag football, she is also a trombone player in the Symphonic Band, a Student Ambassador, and an active volunteer for Special Olympics and Relay for Life. Even with all of these things on her plate, Hannan was drawn to flag football by the people involved, the chance to challenge herself in a new competitive way, and her interest in the sport.

"I've watched football my whole life and have always been around it, but I never had the chance to actually play," she said. "When I heard it was starting up at Concordia, I knew I wanted to be a part of it." 

Concordia's flag football team will compete at their first jamboree on Saturday, April 5, at the University of Northwestern in St. Paul, Minnesota.