Football

Everything you need to know about the 2026 NCAA football season

After last weekend’s Week 0 soft launch, NCAA football is officially back with a full slate of Week 1 action, kicking off in earnest this weekend and culminating in the January 25th national championship. It’s been 229 days since the Indiana Hoosiers hoisted the program’s first trophy — aka, 228 days too long without the wildest, weirdest, most unpredictable game on grass.

September 04, 2026

Flag Football World Championships underscore opportunities ahead of LA28

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As we wrote in February, flag football participation is surging at the youth level, particularly for girls. There are more opportunities for girls to play flag compared to tackle football, and athletes (and their parents) are drawn to it as a “safer” option. Let’s look at the numbers that support the sport’s grassroots success.

August 22, 2026

Olympic spots on the line at flag football World Championships

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August 14, 2026

Three questions to ponder as the CFL’s 68th season kicks off

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One less down, the (modified) rouge, longer fields (for now) — there’s nothing quite like Canadian football. And the 68th CFL season started with a bang as the Montreal Alouettes beat the Hamilton Tiger-Cats 30–27 in overtime last night.

June 05, 2026

WNFC inks multiyear deal with ESPN for title game as broadcast exposure and sponsorship level up the league

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The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) announced a multiyear agreement with ESPN yesterday to broadcast its June 21st championship game live on ESPN2. The league has seen recent growth, mostly thanks to increased media exposure and sponsorship, so we chatted with WNFC advisory board member, commentator, and former player Jennifer King to learn more.

June 02, 2026

Our top three NFL Draft picks

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Cue the chime because the 2026 NFL Draft begins tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From the coveted No. 1 pick to the selection of Mr. Irrelevant at No. 257, the picks keep comin’ and they don’t stop comin’ for seven rounds spanning tomorrow through Saturday.

April 22, 2026

NFL teams ready to spend as free agency officially kicks off

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The NFL’s free agency period starts today, kicking off the 2026 league year. And there’s New Year resolutions everywhere you look as contenders fill out their rosters, stars hunt for new homes, and the trade market heats up. No dropping the ball here — let’s discuss the latest.

March 11, 2026

Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

Sports Business

Everyone is playing (and paying) women’s flag football

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February 21, 2026

While there’s still higher male participation in the U.S., flag football is rapidly flourishing among women and girls. During the 2023–2024 season, nearly 43K girls played in high school (105% increase YoY), while other data suggests about 500K girls aged 6 to 17 years old participated at some level in 2023.

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The GIST of It Podcast

Ep #587

A women’s sports history lesson: Venus & Serena Williams, the ultimate doubles duo

September 03, 2026

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A women’s sports history lesson: Venus & Serena Williams, the ultimate doubles duo

Today, The GIST of It is celebrating iconic women: Venus and Serena Williams are returning to doubles, playing together for the first time since 2022 at the iconic US Open. Plenty of folks know about the siblings’ tremendous singles success, but their doubles prowess is sometimes an afterthought. In honor of their return to the court, today’s One Big Story is a women’s sports history lesson on one of the greatest tennis teams to ever take the court.