On Saturday, March 22, the New Orleans Saints hosted a kickoff event for the Mississippi Saints Girls High School Flag Football program. The event included an unboxing of brand- new uniforms and a media day photoshoot at the Ochsner Sports Performance Center in Metairie, which also featured a surprise appearance from Saints defensive end Cam Jordan.

Mississippi is now the 14th state to sanction girls flag football as an official sport. Their inaugural season will kick off this Thursday, March 27, with 12 high schools participating in the program. Brandon, George County, McComb, Oak Grove, Richland and South Pike will compete in the “Saints Black” division and East Central, Meridian St. Martin, Perry Central, Picayune, and Vancleave will make up the “Saints Gold” division. The games will alternate between Picayune High School and Southwest Mississippi Community College in Summit, MS.

In January, the Saints and Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) announced the sanctioning of girl’s high school flag football in Mississippi, after the Saints successfully launched a 10-team season in Louisiana last April.

Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and will be officially included in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, led by efforts of the International Federations of American Football (IFAF) and supported by the NFL.