The league and K-12 flag football league will hold the first-ever Youth Flag Football World Championships in December.
The XFL has announced a partnership with Under the Lights Flag Football, the kindergarten through 12th grade flag football league for boys and girls. As part of the partnership, the XFL and Under the Lights will co-host the first-ever Youth Flag Football World Championships on Dec. 27-30 in San Antonio, TX.
With Under the Lights already established in seven of the XFL’s eight markets, a partnership is a natural fit for both sides. The XFL’s initial host cities will be in Arlington, Houston, Las Vegas, San Antonio, Seattle, Washington D.C., Orlando, and St. Louis. On top of that, XFL co-owner Dwayne Johnson is partnered with Under Armour, which has been Under the Lights’ brand partner since 2016.
“I love our XFL and Under the Lights partnership and all the phenomenal opportunities that it will bring us,” XFL co-owner Dwayne Johnson said in a release. “But the most important opportunity that this partnership will bring is creating an environment and culture for our kids that is fueled by hard work, discipline, and a whole lot of fun.”
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The announcement also links the XFL to the NFLPA. OneTeam Partners acquired Under the Lights in January 2021, and OneTeam partners is a joint venture founded by the NFLPA, MLBPA and RedBird Capital. The XFL previously tied itself to the NFL in February with a partnership that will be focused on health, safety, scouting, officiating, and testing of different game rules.
“When you partner with somebody like Dany Garcia and Dwayne Johnson what comes along with that is visibility,” Under the Lights Chairman Eric Beach told Boardroom. “This is a growing game that could be super fun if done correctly around the world and we want and need to be leaders in that space. This partnership is perfect for everybody because that’s also one of their goals.”
Flag Football could make its Olympic debut in 2028 in Los Angeles. The NFL partnered with the International Federation of American Football in hopes of helping the sport make its Olympic debut in six years. Flag football was also played at The World Games in Birmingham, Alabama in July.
“We’ve built the XFL to be a league deeply rooted in culture, passion and opportunity,” XFL co-owner and chairwoman Dany Garcia said in a release. “There are such clear and natural synergies between the XFL brand and Under the Lights – steadfast commitment to our communities, diverse and robust engagement opportunities, and at the forefront: an unwavering love for football. By investing in our youth, we can ignite the passion for the next generation of athletes.”
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