Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., sent a letter to the National Collegiate Athletic Association calling for the governing body to implement women's flag football as a sport.
Their letter to NCAA president Charlie Baker, former Republican governor of Massachusetts, comes weeks after it was announced that flag football will be an Olympic sport beginning with the 2028 games in Los Angeles.
"Currently, only the institutions of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) formally provide women's flag football programs. More than 30 schools offer this sport to women, with five of those schools based in Florida," the pair wrote to Baker. "With this growing sport, and its benefits to women, the Olympic Committee's announcement is timely.
"The NCAA should use this opportunity to proactively educate and encourage its schools to formalize programs. This in turn would allow collegiate women scholarship opportunities and serve as a feeder to the Olympics where they can proudly represent their country and school," they went on.
They also cited the NFL's support of flag football.
"The NFL's partnership with RCX Sports and the Philadelphia Eagles has prompted the Atlantic East Conference to be the first NCAA Conference to offer female flag football, starting in 2025. With leadership and support from the NCAA, women's flag football could be rolled out across the country."
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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