This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Current season, competition or edition: 2023 Women's National Football Conference season | |
Sport | Women's American football |
---|---|
Founded | 2018 |
Founder | Odessa Jenkins |
First season | 2019 |
President | Elizabeth Jenkins |
Commissioner | Janice Masters |
No. of teams | 16 |
Country |
|
Most recent champion(s) | Texas Elite Spartans |
Sponsor(s) | Adidas United Sports Brands |
Official website | wnfcfootball.com |
The Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) is a semi-pro full-contact Women's American football league in the United States. With teams across the United States, the WNFC had its first game in 2019 with fourteen regular teams and one exhibition team.
The WNFC is the fastest growing women's tackle football league in the nation with increased player participation, social media reach, streaming impressions and partnerships each year.
The 2024 season will feature 16 teams across the US, with players from 10 countries, the WNFC is a thrilling sports property that combines football and entertainment with a commitment to equity, inclusion, and social responsibility.
This section needs to be updated.(July 2019) |
The Women's National Football Conference was founded in 2018, with their inaugural season in 2019. On their website, the WNFC is described as looking to create a standard of excellence and opportunities. The WNFC does not charge teams of players a fee for entry into the league; rather, teams are invited into the league based on quality of market, team, players and ownership. [1]
On December 10, 2018, the WNFC announced a partnership with Adidas, as part of the latter's "She Breaks Barriers" initiative. [2] As part of that partnership, Adidas serves as the WNFC's presenting sponsor, with all WNFC teams wearing custom-made Adidas uniforms.
The WNFC played their inaugural season in 2019 with fourteen regular teams and one exhibition team. Five teams came to the WNFC from the Independent Women's Football League (which folded after the 2018 season), three from the WFA, two from the USWFL and five were brand-new teams playing their inaugural season in the WNFC.
The season began on April 6 and ended with the inaugural IX Cup (named in honor of Title IX) on June 29, which saw the Texas Elite Spartans defeat the Utah Falconz 19-14. [3]
The WNFC added seven teams for the 2020 season; three from the WFA, two from the USWFL and three expansion teams. No games were played due to Covid-19.
The WNFC returned to play on May 1, 2021. The league provided weekly Covid-19 testing for all its 20 teams. All games were streamed on the Vyre Network. The season ended with Texas Elite Spartans defeating the San Diego Rebellion 27-6.
The WNFC played Week 1 of its 2022 season on April 2. All games were streamed on the Vyre Network. The season ended with the Texas Elite Spartans defeating the Utah Falconz 48-12. The WNFC website reports that their broadcast viewership across all Vyre Network platforms has skyrocketed by 475% from 2021, throughout the course of the 2022 season.
Team | Location | Venue | Head coach | Founded | Joined |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Denver Bandits | Aurora, Colorado | North Stadium | Sam Turner | 2018 | 2019 |
Las Vegas Silver Stars | Las Vegas, Nevada | Faith Lutheran Middle School and High School | Carrie Walters | 2017 | 2019 |
San Diego Rebellion | San Diego, California | Escondido High School | Knengi Martin | 2017 | 2019 |
Seattle Majestics | Kent, Washington | French Field | Rodney McCurry | 2002 | 2019 |
Utah Falconz | Murray, Utah | Cottonwood High School | Keith Barnes | 2014 | 2019 |
Atlanta Phoenix | Mableton, Georgia | Pebblebrook High School | Moncrief Hart | 2011 | 2019 |
Houston Mambas | Missouri City, Texas | Edward Mercer Stadium | Chenille Tillman-Brooks | 2022 | 2022 |
Tennessee Trojans | Nashville, Tennessee | Lipscomb Athletic Complex | Kim Corbett | 2022 | 2023 |
Texas Elite Spartans | Addison, Texas | Lewisville High School | Odessa Jenkins | 2017 | 2019 |
Florida Avengers | Jacksonville, Florida | Ed Waters University | Damien Grimes | 2019 | 2020 |
Kansas City Glory | Kansas City, Missouri | Shawnee Mission North High School | KeKe Blackmon | 2019 | 2019 |
Mississippi Panthers [4] | Jackson, Mississippi | Madison Ridgeland Academy | LeSteven Jackson | 2018 | 2020 |
Oregon Ravens | Portland, Oregon | Milwaukie High School | Tim Price | 2019 | 2019 |
Philly Phantomz | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Camden High School | DJ McFadden | 2015 | 2021 |
Washington Prodigy | Washington, D.C. | Theodore Roosevelt Senior High School | Keith Howard | 2012 | 2020 |
Los Angeles Legends | Los Angeles, CA | Junipero Serra High School | Monique Moe Adams and Tim Holmes | 2021 | 2022 |
Year | Title | Home team | Away team | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 2019 IX Cup | Texas Elite Spartans | Utah Falconz | 19–14 |
2021 | 2021 IX Cup | Texas Elite Spartans | San Diego Rebellion | 27–6 |
2022 | 2022 IX Cup | Texas Elite Spartans | Utah Falconz | 48-14 |
2023 | 2023 IX Cup | Texas Elite Spartans | Mississippi Panthers | 49-7 |
Women's gridiron football, more commonly known as women's tackle football, women's American football, women's Canadian football, or simply women's football, is a form of gridiron football played by women. Most leagues play by similar rules to the men's game. Women primarily play on a semi-professional or amateur level in the United States. Very few high schools or colleges offer the sport solely for women and girls. However, on occasion, it is permissible for a female player to join the otherwise male team.
The Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) was the first women's American football league established by women players for women players. The league was founded in 2000, began play in 2001, and played its last season in 2018. Members of the original roster of the Austin Outlaws were the league's founders. Following the establishment of the league as a separate entity from the team, former Outlaws players Laurie Frederick, Jaime Bailey, and Sandra Plato became the original IWFL executive council.
Arsenal Women Football Club, commonly referred to as just Arsenal unless distinguishing themselves from the men's team, is an English professional women's football club based in Islington, London, England. The club plays in the Women's Super League, the top tier of English women's football. Arsenal were founded in 1987 following an initiative by Vic Akers, who became the club's first, longest-serving, and most successful manager. He guided Arsenal to continued success until his departure in 2009, winning the most top-flight matches in English football history. The club have sustained this record, and have won the most doubles and trebles in English football history. Arsenal have also completed a record seven unbeaten league seasons, setting a number of English records for longest top-flight unbeaten run, for goals scored, and points won.
The Minnesota Vixen is a professional women's football team based in the Twin Cities. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen.
The Boston Militia were a women's full-contact football team in the Women's Football Alliance of which they were two-time champions. Previously, the Militia played in the Independent Women's Football League from 2008 until 2010, winning the IWFL championship in 2010. Based in Boston, Massachusetts, the Militia played its home games at Dilboy Stadium in nearby Somerville.
The Seattle Majestics are a women's American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Majestics play in the WNFC. Home games are played at French Field on the campus of Kent Meridian High School in Kent, Washington.
The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is a semi-pro full-contact Women's American football league that began play in 2009. It is the largest 11-on-11 football league for women in the world, and the longest running active women's football league in the U.S. Since 2016, the league has operated with three competitive levels: Pro, Division 2 and Division 3. The league is owned and operated by Jeff King and Lisa Gibbons King of Exeter, California. Lisa King is also a wide receiver for the WFA's Cali War.
The United States Women's Football League (USWFL) is a full-contact women's American football minor league that opened with exhibition play in 2010 and subsequently played its first regular season in 2011. The league was known as the "Women's Spring Football League" from 2009 to 2015.
The Utah Jynx is a team of the Women's Football Alliance that began play in 2011 and joined the WFA in 2012. Following their successful 2011 season as an independent team, they were placed at #7 in the WFA preseason rankings by EZ Football Rankings. Based in West Valley City, Utah, the Jynx play their home games on the campus of Taylorsville High School.
The prominent women's sports leagues in the United States and Canada serve as the pinnacle of women's athletic competition in North America. The United States is home to the vast majority of professional women's leagues. In North America, the top women's leagues feature both team sports and individual athletes. While some leagues have paid professional women athletes, others do not and function at a semi-professional level.
The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) was a women's professional ice hockey league in the United States and Canada that operated from March 2015 until June 2023. The league was established in 2015 as the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), comprising four league-owned teams. Over time, some teams gained independent ownership and the number of teams grew to seven; teams during the league's final season in 2022–23 included the Boston Pride, Buffalo Beauts, Connecticut Whale, Metropolitan Riveters, Minnesota Whitecaps, Montreal Force, and Toronto Six. The Isobel Cup was awarded annually to the league playoff champion.
The Boston Renegades are a tackle football team in the Women's Football Alliance. The Renegades play their home games at Harry Della Russo Stadium in Revere, Massachusetts.
The Dallas Elite Women's Football team is an American women's tackle football team playing in Division I of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). The team, based in and around Dallas, Texas, was founded in 2014. The Dallas Elite reached the playoffs and national championship game three years in a row, 2015–2017. They defeated the Boston Renegades 31–21 at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh on July 22, 2017, to win the WFA Division I National Championship. Although they missed the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, the team earned a playoff berth in 2021.
Hashtag United Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Essex, England. They are currently members of the Isthmian League Premier Division and play at the Len Salmon Stadium in Pitsea.
Major League Rugby is a professional rugby union competition for clubs in North America. In the 2023 season it was contested by twelve teams: eleven from the United States and one from Canada. While operating outside of the governance and oversight of the national governing body, the league is officially sanctioned by USA Rugby—a member union of Rugby Americas North (RAN)—and is consequently part of World Rugby. The league was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
The Liga MX Femenil, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX Femenil for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of women's football in Mexico. Supervised by the Mexican Football Federation, this professional league has 18 teams, each coinciding with a Liga MX club.
The Utah Royals are an American women's professional soccer club based in Salt Lake City. Established on November 16, 2017, as an expansion club, the Royals played its first stint in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) from 2018 to 2020.
Louis Lancaster is an English professional football coach, notable for his role as head coach of Chinese Taipei national football team and coaching Jadon Sancho.
The Canadian Elite Basketball League is the premier men's professional basketball league in Canada, as recognized by Canada Basketball. The CEBL was founded in 2017 and began play in 2019 with six teams all owned and operated by ownership group Canadian Basketball Ventures.
Unity Football Club is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Surrey, British Columbia that plays in League1 British Columbia.