The nation’s newest professional sport is coming to Santa Barbara.
Newport Beach promoter Roy Englebrecht announced the inception of the SoCal Professional Women’s Flag Football League last week, and Santa Barbara County will be home to a team for its inaugural season this summer.
The league is the first of its kind in women’s flag football, following the explosion of the sport at the high school level, the NCAA’s approval as an emerging sport and the decision to bring men and women’s flag football to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“Right now in flag football, if you’re a high school senior and you still love the sport, you have no place to go,” Englebrecht told Noozhawk. “We’re giving a platform to girls flag football that the girls have never had before, and that’s taking it to the pro level.”
While the majority of details will be released in early February, Englebrecht has announced that eight Southern California counties will field teams with 10-12 players from ages 18-50.
The players will participate in a tryout and be drafted in March. They will be paid $300 per game with a chance at $6,000 for a full season should the team reach the championship game.
As of Jan. 21, the league has 40 players ages 22-38 registered.
The Santa Barbara County team will be joined by teams in Ventura, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Imperial and San Diego counties.
The eight teams will compete in a 14-game regular season beginning in June, with the playoffs starting in August. All games will be played at “top high school or junior college football stadiums in each of the eight counties,” Englebrecht says.
“What a great opportunity to become the first pro women’s flag football league in America, and also give eight individuals or groups a chance to own a team in the county that they live in,” he said.
“The response in one week from just potential investors, coaches, girls, media and suppliers has been off the charts.”
While the league will make additional announcements about details on team names, venues, tryouts, the draft, ownership groups and partnerships in February, Englebrecht did provide insight into the Santa Barbara squad.
Englebrecht told Noozhawk that he was interested in the Chumash Casino Resort as a potential owner of the team and has his eyes on Santa Barbara City College as a potential venue, in terms of possible partnerships he will explore.
“One of my first priorities (in Santa Barbara) is to send the proposal to Chumash. They are very community involved,” Englebrecht said. “We’re also going to be playing in June, July and August. What a beautiful time to play at, say, the Santa Barbara City College Stadium.”
Jaylon Letendre, a longtime youth flag football coach and current co-head coach of San Marcos High School girls flag football, is excited about the professional league coming into town.
Letendre’s Royals and the Dos Pueblos Chargers were each ranked in the top 10 of the CIF Southern Section last fall, establishing themselves as some of the top teams in the state and showing the flag football talent in the 805.
“We’ve been fortunate to witness the sport’s growth firsthand within our community, and seeing it reach the professional level is remarkable,” Letendre said. “I hope youth and high school athletes see this league as something to aspire to and look forward to.
“I also hope our community comes out to support these incredible athletes and the opportunities they represent.”
The world of girls and women’s flag football shows no signs of slowing down, and Englebrecht believes his league will have a chance to grow as the sport itself does across the nation.
“Certainly, (an idea is) being able to launch the league and building this template and then looking towards 2027 for the Northern California Women’s flag football league,” Englebrecht said. “Then you have a natural rivalry because then you have the winner of Southern California play Northern California.
“Then we expand to North Texas and South Texas, and then North Florida and South Florida… There’s not going to be a shortage of players, and that’s key.”
With the NFL’s recent investment in youth flag football, Englebrecht also spoke to the possibility of his league becoming a “minor league” for a potential professional league backed by the NFL.
“We could become the developmental league, if you will, for the NFL. We can be the best players move up to the NFL, if, in fact, they do that,” Englebrecht said.
“The NFL doesn’t do anything halfway. They want to promote the league on that. So it’s just a win-win.”
No matter what the future holds for the Southern California Women’s Pro Flag Football League, Santa Barbara County will be on the ground floor of what could soon be a booming professional sports league.
“Having a league based in Southern California will only continue to increase visibility and inspire more girls and women to participate in the sport,” Letendre said. “I hope this momentum further legitimizes the work that has been happening for years and brings the respect the sport deserves. “