The NFL and TMRW Sports have announced a new annual flag football competition called the Pro Flag Showcase, set to kick off during Super Bowl LXI week in Los Angeles. The event will feature athletes from a professional flag football league currently in development, though no exact date has been set and no specific location for a custom-built venue has been disclosed.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Brian Flinn said the Pro Flag Showcase will feature athletes and high-level flag football competition, giving fans an early look at the talent expected to populate the new pro league. The showcase is also expected to provide broadcast access meant to promote flag football to a wider audience, per the same report. Brendan Donohue said TMRW Sports is preparing to launch a new professional flag football league in partnership with the NFL, according to the outlet.
Filling the Void Left by the Retired Pro Bowl
The timing is no accident. In August, the NFL officially discontinued the Pro Bowl game after 75 years, replacing the physical exhibition with an in-person honor celebration in Los Angeles for 88 selected players, as reported by AP News. The Pro Bowl's popularity had waned in recent years, and flag football events are now planned during Super Bowl week, according to Pro Football Rumors.
Super Bowl LXI week is scheduled for Los Angeles.
NFL Clubs Authorize 32 Equity to Invest Up to $32 Million
The league has a $160 million initial funding pool backed by all 32 NFL franchises.
TMRW Sports, the operational partner in question, appointed former NBA 2K League president Brendan Donohue as its first president of flag football to lead commercial development, followed by former NFL executive Champ Kelly as senior vice president of operations, per SGB Media Online. TMRW Sports was conceived in 2022 by golfers Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy alongside former NBC Sports executive Mike McCarley. The company also operates the tech-infused golf league TGL in partnership with the PGA Tour. TMRW Sports and the NFL are targeting a 2027 inaugural season for the new men's and women's flag football league, according to Gridiron Magazine.
A Grassroots Boom Behind the Investment
The league's bet is grounded in the growth of flag football at the youth and scholastic levels.
The NFL says flag football now has more than 20 million players worldwide and more than 4 million youth players in the United States.
An Olympic Stage Looms in 2028
Flag football will make its official debut as an Olympic medal sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, according to Wikipedia.
Details of the new professional league remain unsettled.
