Rosemount girls flag football team reaches final 16 at NFL FLAG Championships

When Rosemount High School’s girls flag football team takes the field at the NFL FLAG Championships this weekend in Canton, Ohio, the players will be carrying more than their playbook — they’ll be carrying the flag for Minnesota.

The tournament brings together the top youth and high school flag football teams from across the country at the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Now in its second year, the event is part of the NFL’s push to grow flag football; the round of 16 will air on ESPN and NFL Network starting Friday.

Rosemount went 2-1 in games Thursday and advanced to the final 16 in its bracket, becoming the first Minnesota girls team to reach the championship round in the event, coach Jeff Erdmann said.

Rosemount earned its spot by winning the Minnesota Vikings Regional Tournament in May, capping off a season that showcased the rapid growth of girls flag football in Minnesota. This spring, the state’s high school league expanded from a four-team pilot in 2024 to 51 schools.

The Vikings sponsored the league, part of an investment of more than $1 million toward girls flag football initiatives, said Emily Weinberg, the Vikings’ youth and high school football coordinator.

The funding helps reduce barriers for entry by covering player registration fees and facility costs, as well as providing equipment, coaching resources and practice guides. Recognizing that flag football is new for “pretty much everybody involved,” the Vikings have paired financial support with education and training, Weinberg said.

“We hope to see girls flag football be at the same level as high school boys tackle football,” Weinberg said. “So that means giving them the recognition they deserve, providing them with the platforms that they deserve to be seen on and just ensuring that they have the same level of access.”

That investment has made a difference for athletes like Talia Vescio, Rosemount’s quarterback. Vescio, who also competes in hockey, soccer and golf, called playing quarterback a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Vescio, reached in Canton on Wednesday, said her experience there has been nothing short of surreal.

“Everyone at NFL, they put in so much effort and money,” she said. “It’s really cool … the attention to detail. They have everything. The sponsorships, the fields are beautiful and the cones are set up amazingly. That was, for sure, one of my wow moments.”

Rosemount’s path hasn’t been easy. Unlike many club teams with all-star rosters of players from multiple schools, Rosemount is a true high school team, Erdmann said. His squad had to adjust quickly to NFL FLAG rules, which differ significantly from those in Minnesota’s league, such as prohibiting quarterbacks from scrambling.

Still, Erdmann is confident and said his players have grown immensely in their attention to detail this season.

“This year, there’s significantly more detail to schemes and fundamentals,” he said. “I think that helped raise the bar for other teams in their first year as well. I can’t wait for it — that growth is going to continue for several years.”

As the sport grows, so does the sense of possibility for girls in Minnesota — and across the country.

“It’s a great opportunity … showing these girls that, hey, this is a possibility for you,” Weinberg said. “If you want to play in high school, if you want to play in college, if you want to play at the Olympic level one day — it’s here and we want you to be part of it."