The Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) is the largest, longest running, and most competitive women’s tackle football league in the world. Women’s tackle football teams and leagues have been in existence for over four decades, but the most promising growth in the sport – both in the number of teams and in the level of competition – has taken place over the last five years.
In 2009, the WFA opened its doors to female athletes across the nation, regardless of their financial status. The WFA’s non-profit business model encouraged community and corporate sponsorship with revenue being re-invested into its WFA teams and players. The WFA also created unique rewards for member teams and players, including All-American jerseys, playoff travel money, championship rings, championship uniforms, and national broadcasting of the National Championship on major sporting networks such as ESPN3, Root Sports, Eleven Sports, and Comcast.
With over $30,000 in rewards, the WFA National Champions earn 15 times their investment for playing in the league, an incentive that encourages and supports success on the field. Giving teams the ability to remain financially stable while simultaneously attracting younger athletes is the recipe for teams to become more competitive each year.
The WFA’s unique business plan allowed new teams to blossom in cities all across the nation, minimizing travel for all teams while maximizing the national exposure of women’s football. The formula worked so well that within two years, the WFA became the largest women’s tackle football league in the world and home to the most successful and longstanding franchises in women’s football history.
The WFA has broken many barriers. It was first women’s football league to play a National Championship in an NFL stadium, as well as the first women’s league to have its games broadcasted on national television. In addition, over 15 veteran WFA players have earned coaching and scouting positions in the NFL including Katie Sowers (San Francisco 49ers), the first female to coach in a Super Bowl, and Jennifer King (Washington Redskins), the first female African American coach in the NFL.
The Women’s Football Alliance continues to support the successful growth of women’s tackle football across the United States and around the world.
“As a league, we are indebted to the multiple leagues that have helped women’s football grow to where we are today. We came in with a plan to take the game to another level, and we believe the success of our teams shows on the field. From 2011 until 2013, the number of WFA players on the U.S. National Team skyrocketed from zero percent to 96 percent and multiple players are now coaching in the NFL.
We are proud of how far we have come in a short time and impressed with the level of football being played on the field, but we are even more excited about the promising future that exists for all our players and teams. We have a product that is exciting to watch and marketable. When players no longer have to pay to play football, we will have tackled our final barrier and accomplished our vision for the game.”
Lisa King
WFA Commissioner