WESTFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — The National Football League announced Tuesday that the third annual NFL Flag Championships Presented by Toyota will be held in Westfield from July 23–26, marking the first time the world’s largest youth flag football tournament will take place in Indiana.
The event will be staged at the Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus, a 400-plus-acre complex in the Indianapolis metropolitan area featuring more than 30 multipurpose fields. Championship games are scheduled for Sunday, July 26.
The NFL Flag Championships are the largest youth flag football tournament in the world and will reach a new high-water mark this year, with more than 350 boys and girls teams from around the globe expected to compete. The tournament has rapidly emerged as a premier showcase for youth flag football amid the sport’s accelerating growth worldwide.
“We’re thrilled to bring the NFL Flag Championships to Westfield, Indiana for what will be our biggest and most exciting tournament yet,” said Peter O’Reilly, the NFL’s executive vice president of events, international and club business. He cited flag football’s growing international footprint and its upcoming debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles as drivers of the event’s momentum.
ESPN will again provide live coverage throughout the tournament, with games airing from Friday, July 24, through the championship games on Sunday across ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Deportes and NFL+, with select games also available on Disney+, Disney Channel, Disney XD, the ESPN App and ESPN’s YouTube platforms. Coverage will extend to select international markets.
“The move to Westfield, Indiana marks an exciting next chapter,” said Mark Gross, ESPN senior vice president of sports production, noting Indiana’s football culture and the scale of Grand Park as ideal for an event of this size.
The championships add to central Indiana’s long history of hosting major NFL events. The region is home to the Indianapolis Colts and annually hosts the NFL Scouting Combine, reinforcing its reputation as a hub for football development and innovation.
“For 50 years, our region has been known around the globe for hosting the world’s greatest sporting events,” said Kalen Jackson, Colts owner and chief brand officer, adding that the team is committed to the growth of flag football in Indiana and beyond.
Grand Park Sports & Entertainment Co-Chief Executive Officer Greg Stremlaw said the championships align with the campus’s strategy to expand its sports offerings, including a significant investment in flag football as part of a broader, long-term vision.
Hamilton County Tourism President and CEO Karen Radcliff said the event will further cement the county’s standing as a destination for championship-level competition, while RCX Sports CEO Izell Reese called the tournament “the premier global stage for youth football.”
Westfield Mayor Scott Willis said the championships will spotlight the city and Grand Park on an international stage, highlighting Westfield’s rise as a premier youth sports destination.
Flag football is among the fastest-growing sports globally, with an estimated 20 million players worldwide, and will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028. NFL owners recently voted to support the development of a professional flag football league, and the NCAA has added flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women program. The sport is now offered for girls at the high school level in 38 states, with more than 100 colleges and universities sponsoring women’s flag football programs.
In Indiana, the Colts have led statewide expansion efforts through Colts Flag Football Leagues and have committed $1 million to support girls high school flag football, along with initiatives aimed at increasing access and participation across the state.
