Women's National Football Conference
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.
| 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 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.
League history
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.
2019
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]
2020
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.
2021
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.
2022
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.
Teams
| 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 |
Map of teams
Former teams
- New Orleans Hippies — Played in the WNFC in 2019
- North Florida Pumas — Played in the WNFC in 2019, now a member of the Women's Tackle Football League.
- San Diego Surge — Played in the WNFC in 2019
- Nebraska Nite Hawks — Played in the WNFC from 2019-2021
- Carolina Queens — Played in the WNFC in 2021
- Los Angeles Bobcats — Played in the WNFC from 2019-2021
- Alabama Fire - Played in the WNFC from 2019-2022, now a member of the WFA
- Phoenix Prowlers - Played in the WNFC from 2019-2022
- La Muerte De Las Cruces - Played in the WNFC from 2021-2022
Timeline
IX Cup
| 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 |
References
- About Us - WNFCFootball.com
- "ADIDAS KICKS OFF INITIATIVE TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS FACED BY WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORT". Adidas.com. December 10, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- "WNFC'S IX CUP CHAMPIONSHIP LIVES UP TO THE HYPE!". July 9, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- https://www.mpbonline.org/television/mississippi-roads/ Mississippi Roads episode Wise, Wilfull, Women February 13, 2022