High school girls in New Mexico are making history this fall as six schools in the Albuquerque area launch the state’s first competitive girls flag football league, part of an effort to gain official sanctioning from the New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA).

The league will feature 11 teams, with five schools drafting two teams each.

"There have been probably another 10 or 15 schools that have expressed interest and didn't feel like they had time to get teams together. We did this very, very quickly," Kurt Nilson, La Cueva's head coach, said.

The league’s media day on Sunday highlighted the push for official recognition, with coaches emphasizing the importance of creating opportunities for girls to access athletic scholarships.

The NMAA’s executive director, Dusty Young, addressed the league in a statement, saying,

"Girls flag football is something we have discussed with our member schools over the last couple years and we will continue to do so moving forward.

Nilson said they are following all NMAA rules so that when it becomes a sanctioned sport, it will be a seamless transition.

"We want to make sure that we're doing everything to make it so that this is not only built for the NMAA to take on in sanction, but also to give our girls the best opportunity to get scholarships and to be able to move on in the flag football world if they choose to," he said.

Players are excited about the opportunity to compete and break barriers in sports traditionally dominated by males.

“I think it’s just like a gate opening for us to have new experiences," said Ezralin Fernandez, a high school player. "Now we get to [play the game] with females, and it’s just like completely different."

Maxx Marie, another player, reflected on the significance of the league’s creation. “Going into high school, I was like, ‘Well, why isn’t there like a girls league? Like, why do the boys get a league, but the girls don’t?’”

KOAT previously reported on two girls from New Mexico who went on to play flag football at the collegiate level. The league’s launch also comes ahead of flag football’s Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Los Angeles in 2028.

From first-time athletes to seasoned players, coaches say the league is bringing together girls from diverse athletic backgrounds, empowering them to explore new opportunities on the field.