​The University Interscholastic League voted Monday, Oct. 19 to start a pilot program for girls flag football across the state, according to the Dallas Morning News’ Greg Riddle.The pilot program, which operates as a trial run before official sanctioning, will include no more than two classifications and will start in the 2028-29 school year.Flag football already has a strong foothold in the football-fanatic state, with over 4,000 high school girls playing the sport across 220 schools during the spring 2026 season, in addition to continued year-over-year growth. The Dallas Cowboys and the Houston Texans hosted their inaugural state championship this past June, after four years of pilot programs and expansion.Up until this point, play has been largely propped up by the Cowboys and Texans in the absence of official UIL involvement. Both of the state’s NFL squads have been instrumental in the sport’s rise in their home state, helping schools establish teams through monetary support, league launches, tournaments and advocacy. State proponents expect nearly 6,000 athletes to participate next year, Hannah McNair, chief community officer of the Houston Texans Foundation, told the Dallas Morning News. Participation increased by around 3,400 girls from 2025 to 2026.More: Oregon makes girls flag football history. Nike, Seattle Seahawks helped make it happenTexas’ pilot program approval is the latest step in a year that has already seen nine states make it an official high school sport, with Oregon becoming the 25th total state to sanction it just last week. The sport’s impending Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games is a major driver of this year’s growth, along with the NCAA’s recent recommendation to make flag a championship collegiate sport by 2028.This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas takes big step towards adding girls flag football as official high school sport