More Women Than Ever Are Playing Pro Football: WNFC National Tryout Day Is Where It Starts

The 6th annual WNFC National Tryout Day opens doors for thousands of women chasing the dream of professional tackle football, fueled by the nationwide boom in girls’ flag.

The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) is set to host its 6th annual National Tryout Day, a league innovation that has become the launchpad for some of the most electrifying athletes in women’s tackle football.

Born out of the simple yet powerful question; “How do I join?”, the event has evolved into the premier entry point for women determined to chase their professional football dreams.

The Answer to the #1 Question

At the league level, no inquiry is more common than how to play in the WNFC. The answer: National Tryout Day. What began as a grassroots initiative to give women a direct path to a roster spot has blossomed into a global moment in women’s sports.

Interest in playing tackle football has surged to unprecedented levels, with the league reporting a 200% increase in potential athletes requesting information on how to join.

The surge is fueled by women from every corner of sport and society, flag football stars eager to test themselves in tackle, multi-sport athletes transitioning from track, basketball, and rugby, and women who have carried the dream of football since childhood but never had a place to play.

Register HERE.

Flag Football’s Influence: From the Playground to the Pro Game

The explosion of women’s tackle football talent doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s directly linked to the meteoric rise of girls’ flag football across the U.S. and beyond.

According to the International Federation of American Football, 2.4 million kids under 17 are playing organized flag football in the U.S., while millions more participate globally. At the high school level, the numbers are staggering:

• 17 states have officially sanctioned girls’ flag football as a varsity sport, with Florida, California, and New York leading the charge.

• Dozens of other states are piloting programs, setting the stage for nationwide adoption.

• Over 60 colleges now offer flag football programs, and international competitions feature athletes from 13 countries.

This surge is rewriting the pipeline for women’s football. For the first time, girls can begin in elementary school, compete in high school, earn college scholarships, and now, dream of transitioning from flag to tackle at the professional level.

“More women believe they can actually play tackle football,” says Janice Masters - WNFC Commissioner. “Flag has cracked open the door, and now the WNFC is showing them what’s possible in football.”

Local Tryouts, Global Aspirations

On National Tryout Day, each WNFC franchise opens its doors to hopefuls in its local market. From Dallas to Seattle, Los Angeles to Washington D.C., tryouts will see thousands of women, both domestic and international, step onto the field for their shot at making a roster in the most competitive and professional women’s tackle football league in the world.

And the stakes are real. In 2024, National Tryout Day unearthed some of the league’s brightest stars:

• Sarah Teubner (Chicago Winds) – Discovered on tryout day, she went on to win league MVP.

• Dajour Miles (Chicago Winds) – Rookie of the Year in 2025, also a tryout product.

• Karen Mulligan (Jersey Shore Wave) – Now a cornerstone for the Wave.

• Shaqunda Gainey (Washington Prodigy) and Mackenzie Vest (Washington Prodigy) – Both became instant-superstars players.

• Summer McNeal (Texas Elite Spartans) – One of the most exciting young prospects in the game, who helped her team win their 5th championship.

Why It Matters

For many women, the dream of playing tackle football has always seemed out of reach. Other contact sports like rugby or MMA offered a taste of that physicality, but the pathway to full pads and a helmet was murky at best. National Tryout Day shattered that barrier.

Today, it’s not just a tryout, it’s a cultural statement. It tells women everywhere that if they’ve ever dreamed of suiting up, competing at the highest level, and redefining what football looks like, the WNFC is where they start.

The 2026 Class Awaits

As thousands of hopefuls prepare to lace up for this year’s edition, anticipation runs high. Every sprint, every tackle, every drill carries the possibility of history in the making.

By nightfall, many will have taken their first step onto a WNFC field.

Some will walk away having earned a coveted roster spot. And a select few may follow in the footsteps of Teubner, Miles, McNeal, and others emerging not only as teammates but as the league’s next wave of stars when the 2026 season kicks off in March.

National Tryout Day began as an answer to a simple question. Six years later, it has become the heartbeat of women’s football’s growth story.

And in 2026, the dream only gets bigger.