The NFL and TMRW Sports announced the formation of Premier Flag, a new professional flag football league for men and women set to launch in summer 2027. The announcement positions the sport for a global spotlight just one year before flag football makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The league will be based in a U.S. host city still to be announced in the coming weeks. TMRW Sports, the company behind the indoor golf venture TGL, is partnering with the NFL on the project. TMRW Sports was founded by Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and sports executive Mike McCarley.
The Details Behind Premier Flag
Premier Flag aims to make flag football lucrative enough that top players can leave their day jobs and train year-round, with coaching, conditioning and health benefits built into the league structure. The salary structure is still being worked out, according to the announcement.
Organizers describe Premier Flag as taking a data-driven approach to setting the professional standard for the sport. The league is working with IFAF, the international governing body for flag football, to test rules, formats and equipment before it gets off the ground.
Three ambassadors have already signed on. USA Football women’s national team players Ashlea Klam and Izzy Geraci will represent the women’s side, while Darrell “Housh” Doucette III, a versatile athlete known across the sport, will represent the men’s side.
“We can finally be paid for the sport we invested so much money and time in,” Doucette said. “The sacrifices we had to make to be great players have finally paid off, and we are excited for the new opportunity.”
Fans will get an early look before the league even kicks off. A Premier Flag Showcase is planned during Super Bowl LXI week, though organizers have not specified exactly when during that week the event will take place.
What It Means For Fans And The Sport
Brian Flinn, the NFL’s senior vice president of global flag football, said the league fills a gap for elite players who previously had nowhere to turn professionally. “The launch of Premier Flag creates a new professional opportunity for the world’s best players and establishes the pinnacle of the sport’s growing global pathway,” Flinn said.
Brendan Donohue, president of flag football for TMRW Sports, framed the launch as a response to surging interest in the game. “Flag football is exploding in popularity, and Premier Flag is establishing itself as the destination for the world’s top women and men competing at the highest level of the sport,” Donohue said. “The Premier Flag brand represents where flag football is headed, elite, global and accessible, while setting a professional standard for the sport’s growing ecosystem.”
Context: A Sport Already On The Rise
Premier Flag arrives amid a broader expansion of flag football at multiple levels. On the women’s side, the sport is already a sanctioned varsity activity in more than 20 states. The NCAA is set to vote in January on whether to make flag football a championship sport, with a potential title game arriving in spring 2028.
That growth mirrors the momentum TMRW Sports built with TGL, its high-tech indoor golf league, which gave the company experience launching a new made-for-television sports property. Flag football has been described as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, and the Olympic debut set for 2028 adds another marker to that trajectory.
What’s Next
The league still has significant details to finalize, including the number of teams, the salary structure and the full competitive format. A host city announcement is expected in the coming weeks, and the Premier Flag Showcase during Super Bowl LXI week will serve as the public’s first extended look at the league before its summer 2027 launch.
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