The state of Iowa eats up football like it’s a piece of rich chocolate cake. The Iowa Hawkeyes pack Kinnick Stadium every Saturday, their fans travel across the country for games, and Saturdays in the fall are a sacred time for football. So, what if there were more football? Especially for a fanbase that has the support and excitement to support more?
Enter women’s flag football. The sport is starting to see a boom right now across America. The 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles are going to see women’s flag football make its debut. Colleges across the country are getting into the action. It is time for Beth Goetz and the University of Iowa to get into the women’s collegiate flag football world.
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Why should they? It’s more than just one reason. There are a myriad of reasons as to why this makes sense for the Hawkeyes and could see them become a leader in this sport, both as a major program and with the resources to become one of the best teams in the sport.
Support of football in Iowa
Aug 30, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeye fans react during the second quarter against the Albany Great Danes at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Iowa Hawkeyes sold out the entire slate of 2025 home football games. Kinnick is simply a madhouse each Saturday. The love of football and the fanbase to back more football is ripe for the taking. With no NFL team, women’s flag football stands ready to take that spot and see Iowa fans flex their muscles even more as some of the best fans in college athletics.
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Iowa fans already travel, they already love to tailgate, so give them another reason to do both, and you have a women’s flag football fanbase that is ready to take the sport by storm.
Iowa is a major supporter of women’s athletics
Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates after breaking the NCAA women’s all-time scoring record during the first half against the Michigan Wolverines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on February 15, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.
Is there a more rabid fanbase that supports women’s sports more than Iowa? Carver-Hawkeye Arena is a zoo for women’s basketball games. Yes, there was the Caitlin Clark era that sent things into the stratosphere for women’s sports, but the main tell is that the attendance and fan support haven’t wavered.
Iowa fans pride themselves on women’s athletics, and if they could combine that support with the love of football, it is a recipe that could be fireworks for the Hawkeyes and this sport.
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Venues are already available
Oct 18, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; A general view of Kinnick Stadium during the second quarter between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
First and foremost, there is the obvious appeal of playing women’s flag football inside Kinnick Stadium. Could you imagine the excitement of packing the house for women’s flag football like they did when the Hawkeyes took on DePaul in the exhibition game that sold out?
Now, for even more logistical options, Iowa has three more fields where they could play games and even host weekend-long tournaments or postseason tournaments. The Hawkeyes have the indoor field, and behind that, two more fields reside. Iowa has a total of four playable fields for women’s flag football, rendering this a full-on possibility.
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Minimal strain financially
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 2: The Wilson and NCAA Logo is shown on a football as the Louisville Cardinals take on the Florida State Seminoles during the ACC Championship at Bank of America Stadium on December 2, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
Football is an absolute monster on any university’s financials. You have rosters of 100 or more players. You have all of the equipment. The coaching salaries are only continuing to grow. The travel logistics are expanding as fast as the Big Ten landscape is. All of that is true, but it’s also true that women’s flag football can be drop in that bucket.
Women’s flag football does not have the need for all of the equipment, which adds up. The roster sizes could be a quarter or less of what the football roster is, rendering less strain on travel and such. There is no need for additional facilities as mentioned above. If Iowa wants to get into women’s flag football, the financial side of things is more than doable.
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Opportunity to become a leader in the sport
Iowa Athletics Director Beth Goetz introduces Ben McCollum as the new Iowa men’s basketball head coach Tuesday, March 25, 2025 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
This is where Beth Goetz could separate herself and really become a leader in this sport. As a former collegiate athlete herself, this move would be a no-brainer for her approval rating at Iowa, which is already sky-high due to some of the moves she has already made.
With women’s flag football just starting to blossom, Iowa has the name and the ties to become a major player in this sport. Right now, 60 programs exist at the Division I level of women’s flag football, but scattered across different conferences, club leagues, and some independents. Iowa has the opportunity to become another Power Four conference player in women’s college football and get in on the action early.
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The Caitlin Clark Effect
Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives to the basket during the Crossover at Kinnick women’s basketball scrimmage between Iowa and DePaul, Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.
Let’s be honest, you and I both know Caitlin Clark is going to be in attendance for Iowa women’s flag football should we get it. She is a die-hard Kansas City Chiefs fan, follows the Hawkeyes’ football program, and is as big a sports junkie as the rest of Iowa’s fans.
If you add Caitlin Clark to the mix here in any form or fashion, the Hawkeyes could become one of the most desirable destinations for women’s flag football. Clark could bring eyes to games, get views on the sport with her social media power, and who knows, she could become an NIL factor for this team.
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At the end of the day, the University of Iowa is ready for women’s flag football and has a golden opportunity right in front of them.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Riley on X: @rileydonald7
This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Iowa, it’s time. The Hawkeyes need to add women’s flag football
