The NFL's ongoing efforts to promote flag football have led to an NCAA conference making women's flag football a varsity sport for the first time.

The Atlantic East Conference is launching its first varsity women's flag football season this spring, making it the first NCAA conference to do so and increasing optimism that flag football will ultimately be recognized by the NCAA as an official championship sport.

The six participating colleges are Northwestern-St. Paul, Bethel, Wisconsin-Stout, Gustavus Adolphus, Augustana and Concordia-Moorhead.

Lincoln Financial Field has hosted many historical events, but on Monday, it made history as the venue for a landmark moment in women’s flag football. The Atlantic East Conference hosted a media day for the inaugural season of women’s flag football,

The growth of flag football in Minnesota took another significant step in the right direction this week.