Lauren Tanner, a freshman at San Diego State, launched the university’s first women’s flag football student group after discovering that no existing team met her interests.
Her search for a comparable squad proved fruitless, prompting her to create a new club. An Instagram account and campus flyers quickly attracted about 60 interested students, and the roster was later trimmed to 29 players, with 19 slated to dress for games.
Guiding the team are head coach Jennifer Constuble, who brings more than two decades of flag football experience, and assistant coach Jeremy Clemons, the offensive coordinator for Carlsbad High School’s program.
Rising Popularity of Flag Football
The sport’s momentum is evident nationally: the International Federation of American Football reports 2.4 million youths under 17 participating in organized flag football across the United States, and the U.S. teams have captured the last three world championships. The game will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, while the NFL has partnered with 12 states — including California — to designate flag football as an official varsity sport in high schools.
In its inaugural season, the San Diego State club has raised roughly $9,600 through student‑driven fundraising and has traveled to face opponents in Seattle, Victorville, Riverside and Alabama, posting a mix of victories and defeats on the road.
Tanner and Constuble envision a future where women’s flag football earns NCAA sanctioning at San Diego State, opening pathways for female athletes and expanding the sport’s footprint.