Inside the WNFC Owners Conference: Decisions That Will Redefine the Women’s Tackle Football Experience

When the Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) wrapped its 2025 IX Cup Championship on ESPN2, the roar of the crowd felt like the high point of the season. But insiders know the most important work happens after the lights go out. In August, ownership groups from all 16 franchises, including expansion team Golden State Storm, gathered for one of the most consequential meetings in league history. The stakes: nothing less than shaping the future of professional women’s tackle football.

Commissioner Janice Masters opened the session by unveiling results from the league’s 2025 Player Survey, a candid snapshot of what athletes want most as the WNFC pursues its mission of accelerating financial opportunity for players.

The survey revealed a clear message: players are striving for a league that is focused on player expenses while creating new opportunities to earn. Among the top priorities was player travel experience, and officiating which athletes said is critical to creating a true professional standard.

“Our athletes made it clear,” Masters said. “Removing financial burden and improving how our players travel is essential. These are non-negotiables as we grow. The voices of our players are leading us, and ownership is aligned in meeting that challenge.”

For athletes, that could mean everything from better accommodations on the road to fewer out-of-pocket costs; changes that shift women’s tackle football closer to the professional model long enjoyed in men’s sports.

A League Re-Drawn

In one of the most significant competitive shifts in league history, owners voted to move from three to four divisions for the 2026 season.

Pacific Division

• Golden State Storm

• Las Vegas Silver Stars

• Los Angeles Legends

• San Diego Rebellion

Northwest Division

• Kansas City Glory

• Oregon Ravens

• Seattle Majestics

• Utah Falconz

Central Division

• Chicago Winds

• Mississippi Panthers

• Tennessee Trojans

• Texas Elite Spartans

Atlantic Division

• Atlanta Truth

• Florida Avengers

• Jersey Shore Wave

• Washington Prodigy

The decision was paired with playoff clarity for the new structure. The top seed in each division will earn an automatic playoff berth, while the next four playoff spots (seeds 5–8) will continue to be determined by WFRC voting. The structure, Western and Eastern Conference tournaments feeding into the IX Cup will remain intact for a seventh consecutive year.

Under the new format, Pacific and Northwest division top seeds will advance west, while Central and Atlantic top seeds will head east. Remaining teams will be slotted geographically, ensuring competitive balance and minimizing travel.

Technology Meets the Gridiron

Beyond player experience opportunities, the owners hosted potential partners who showcased new technologies and solutions aimed at enhancing the fan experience. From upgraded ticketing platforms to digital tools that bring fans closer to the game, ownership explored innovations designed to make following women’s tackle football more engaging and interactive.

If 2025 was the year of parity on the field, it was also a breakthrough at the box office. Teams reported a 20% increase in regular season ticket sales across the league. Owners spent significant time strategizing how to turn that momentum into sustained growth.

Expect to see teams experiment with creative partnerships, innovative promotions, and grassroots campaigns designed to put more fans in seats. Driving live attendance, while simultaneously improving the game-day experience was framed as a central priority for 2026.

Rules, Standards, and Firsts

Desiree Abrams (The Office of Officiating) presented league-wide penalty statistics and introduced new rules under consideration, including whether to adopt the NCAA’s recent changes to helmet visor permissions. For players, this signals that the WNFC is keeping pace with the highest levels of football and committed to safety and professionalism.

But officiating took center stage in another way: ownership voted to launch a first-of-its-kind pipeline program designed to usher former WNFC players and coaches into officiating. After a two-year waiting period from their last active season, alumni will have an opportunity to train, certify, and join league officiating crews.

To further elevate the standard of play, the league will also require a sixth official per game beginning in 2026, an increase from the current five-official minimum. In addition, ownership passed a rule requiring only registered officials to work sideline chain gangs, a decision that came down to a deadlocked ownership vote, broken by the commissioner.

Owners also approved expanded flexibility in jersey numbering. Offensive linemen wearing numbers 50–79 will now be eligible to handle the football during scrimmage plays if they report to the referee, bringing a tactical wrinkle long seen in men’s football to the women’s game.

Building a Professional Institution

Owners also took an important step by agreeing to establish clear financial reporting standards across teams. This move creates transparency, stability, and accountability, providing a foundation for sustainable growth.

“By setting these financial standards together, we’re doing more than running teams,” Kristen Davis, WNFC CFO explained. “We’re building an institution that can stand the test of time.”

The WNFC’s 2025 season already proved that parity and competition are thriving: no team finished with a perfect record for the first time in league history. Every weekend was a clash of stars, broadcast live on Victory+ and amplified on global platforms like CBS and The Today Show. 

Now, with ownership aligned and standards being written in real time, the league is positioning itself to deliver an even more advanced product, for fans, for partners, and most importantly, for the women who play the game.

For athletes, the message is clear: the WNFC is listening, and change is coming. From upgraded travel to a focus on elimination of expenses, from new fan technologies to unified team standards, the 2026 season could mark a turning point in how women’s football operates.

For fans, it means the experience will keep leveling up, and with ownership laser-focused on ticket sales, expect fuller stadiums, louder crowds, and game days that have something for the entire family.

For media and partners, the open question is just how far and how fast these changes will go. If the Owners Conference is any indication, the WNFC is ready to sprint into uncharted territory, rewriting what professional women’s tackle football looks like in the United States and beyond.