In celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day on February 5th, the Buffalo Bills are excited to announce that the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Buffalo Bills Foundation have committed $260,000 over the next three years to launch Modified Girls Flag Football. These programs will start at middle schools throughout the region this Spring.
In its inaugural year, the following schools have committed to adding Modified Girls Flag Football to their sports offerings and will be receiving support from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and Buffalo Bills Foundation:
School/ Section
Brighton Academy Section III
Clary Middle School Section III
Frazer Pre-K-8 School Section III
Grant Middle School Section III
Huntington Pre-K-8 School Section III
Lincoln Middle School Section III
Syracuse STEM @ Blodgett Section III
School/ Section
Canisteo-Greenwood Section V
East Lower School Section V
Greece Olympia/Greece Odyssey Section V
Loretta Johnson Middle School Section V
Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women Section V
Rochester Prep. Section V
Young Women's College Prep. Section V
School / Section
Amherst Middle School Section VI
Edward Town Middle School Section VI
Fredonia Middle School Section VI
Frontier Middle School Section VI
Jamestown Middle Schools Section VI
Mill Middle/Williamsville South Section VI
Sweet Home Middle School Section VI
In support of the launch of Modified Girls Flag Football throughout our region, each participating school will receive a $3,000 grant, a flag football equipment package, including belts and footballs, and the opportunity to participate in coach and player training events at the Buffalo Bills facilities.
"Through our Project Play WNY initiative, we know that girls across this region are eager to play flag football, and we're committed to meeting them where their passion is," said Kari Pardoe, senior program officer at the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. "As one of the fastest growing sports in the country, Modified Girls Flag Football is opening doors for young athletes to develop their skills on and off the field. By expanding access at the middle school level, we're not just fueling the game's growth; we're ensuring more girls have the opportunity to play together, have fun, and grow as leaders. We're proud to partner with the Buffalo Bills Foundation to help make the sport more accessible in schools and communities across Western New York and beyond."
The launch of Modified Girls Flag Football will directly support the continued growth and development of girls flag football in our region. In 2022, the inaugural pilot season of High School Girls Flag Football, there were 51 high schools throughout New York State that fielded Varsity Girls Flag Football, which then expanded to 185 schools participating throughout the state by 2024. In 2025, there will be over 200 high schools throughout New York State competing in the game.
"The rapid growth of girls flag football participation in our community the past three years has been amazing," said Preston Teague, Buffalo Bills Sr. Director of Youth Football and Programs. "The development of girls flag football teams at the middle school level will be a game changer for our community and creates a pathway for girls to compete, develop their skills, and continue their flag football careers on into high school and beyond, which is incredibly exciting. We can't thank the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation enough for supporting this initiative, which will have a tremendous positive impact on student-athletes in Western and Central New York."
New York State is one of fourteen states throughout the country that has sanctioned Girls Flag Football as a Varsity Championship sport. The sport has also rapidly developed internationally, as Flag Football will make its Olympic Debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
"The Buffalo Bills Foundation is thrilled to continue to support our team's initiatives to increase access to flag football for girls in our region," said Michelle Roberts, Buffalo Bills Vice President of Community Impact and Executive Director, Buffalo Bills Foundation. "We are honored to partner with the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation to continue these trailblazing efforts with the launch of Modified Girls Flag Football."
