The Arizona Cardinals have become the first NFL team to invest directly in a Canadian youth flag football league, marking a new stage in the U.S. league’s involvement in amateur programs north of the border.
The Junior Cardinals Flag Football League is set to begin play on April 16, with approximately 700 players competing in divisions that include 6U, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U and 16U. All registered players will receive a full uniform kit, with the Cardinals donating the jerseys, flags, and game footballs. Avnet, a global electronics distributor, will supply the shorts.
Cardinals alumni, cheerleaders, and the team mascot, Big Red, will be in attendance at exclusive events throughout the season.
The league is powered by Calgary-based football training company Raw Sports, which is co-owned by former CFL players Anthony and Robert Woodson, and is sanctioned by Football Alberta. NFL Flag has operated multiple leagues across Canada since 2022, but this is the first to be affiliated with a specific franchise.
The Cardinals are one of seven NFL teams with marketing rights in Canada through the league’s Global Markets Program. Other teams with brand affiliations across the 49th parallel include the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks.
Flag football is slated to be played at the Summer Olympics for the first time in history at the Los Angeles games in 2028. Team Canada’s men’s and women’s national teams will have their first chance to qualify for the Olympics at the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Düsseldorf, Germany, this August.
