Girls flag football is on the verge of becoming a high school sport in Mississippi, and athletics director James Lewis said the Vicksburg Warren School District’s two public high schools could field teams as soon as 2026.

The Mississippi High School Activities Association announced Tuesday that it has partnered with the NFL’s New Orleans Saints on a pilot program to sanction girls high school flag football this spring.

The initial season will include only 12 schools, but if it goes well Lewis believes flag football will be offered as a fully-sanctioned varsity sport statewide for the spring of 2026. If it is, Vicksburg High and Warren Central will be a part of it.

“We are definitely interested. We want to do it for sure,” Lewis said. “That is something we want our girls to be a part of. We will be offering it once we get the go-ahead.”

Lewis added that he applied to the MHSAA to have Vicksburg and Warren Central included as part of the 2025 pilot season, but they were not selected. Because of the partnership with the Saints, the 12 teams that were picked are mostly in South Mississippi to better help oversee is operations and consolidate travel.

Games will be played at Southwest Mississippi Community College and Picayune High School beginning in late March.

The 12 participating high schools are Brandon, East Central, George County, McComb, Meridian, Oak Grove, Perry Central, Picayune, Richland, South Pike, St. Martin and Vancleave.

“In keeping with our mission to enhance the educational experience through opportunities for participation in interscholastic activities, this initiative reflects our commitment to growing access and opportunity for student-athletes throughout the state,” MHSAA Executive Director Rickey Neaves said in a statement.

Flag football is one of the fastest-growing girls sports in the country. According to the National Federation of High Schools, nearly 43,000 girls nationwide played high school flag football during the 2023-24 school year — more than double the number from 2022-23.

Mississippi is the 14th state to sanction it as a high school sport. Others include Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida. There are pilot programs in 19 other states, including Louisiana.

The sport will be included for men and women in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The Saints are among several NFL teams to throw their support to youth and high school programs in their respective regions.

“This is just the beginning, and we look forward to seeing the league grow, offering more young women the chance to experience the joy and empowerment that sports bring,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement.

Lewis said he was looking forward to Vicksburg High and Warren Central joining the movement as soon as possible.

“I think it’s going to be a hit. People are going to be excited, and it’s going to be something offered for spring 2026,” Lewis said. “We’ll have to map out logistics, who’s going to coach, those kinds of things, but those are low-end hanging fruit. The big things will take care of itself. I’m always excited to offer our students a new opportunity, and especially a new sport for girls.”