Former Tennessee quarterback Casey Clausen is bringing a pair of youth football initiatives from California to his home state, aiming to give boys and girls a new pathway into the game.
A new frontier for flag football in the Volunteer State
The programs, which include a girls flag football league and a boys 7‑on‑7 competition, will be staged in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Murfreesboro and Nashville, targeting athletes from second through eighth grade.
All three of Clausen’s brothers — Jimmy and Rick — are backing the effort, providing mentorship and leveraging the family’s network of former Volunteers players to help launch the leagues.
The push comes as Tennessee’s football landscape has been reshaped by a wave of elite recruits, prompting Clausen to see an opportunity to keep the state’s top talent engaged before they leave for college.
Girls flag football is slated to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, and the NCAA added the sport to its Emerging Sports for Women program earlier this year, a move that has already spurred several campuses to announce varsity teams.
Clausen says the combined exposure of the Olympics, NCAA sponsorship and growing state interest gives youngsters a chance to earn scholarships and perhaps one day wear a Tennessee jersey.