The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is a professional full-contact

Women's American football Women's gridiron football, more commonly known as women's tackle football, women's American football, women's Canadian football, or simply women's football, is a form of gridiron football (American or Canadian) played by women. Most leagues play ...

tackle minor league that began play in 2009. It is the largest 11-on-11 football league for women in the world, and the longest running active women's football league in the U.S. Since 2016, the league has operated with three competitive levels: Pro, Division 2 and Division 3. The league is owned and operated by Jeff King and

Lisa Gibbons King Lisa or LISA may refer to: People People with the mononym * Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam * Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer * Lisa Komine (born 1978), ...

Exeter, California Exeter is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. It is situated in the San Joaquin Valley near the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. The population was 10,334 at the 2010 census. Exeter is located on State Highway 65, south of Hig ...

. Lisa King is also a wide receiver for the WFA's,

Los Angeles Warriors LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significan ...

. In addition to operating annual national championship seasons in the United States, the league also operates the WFA International Program which organizes international competitions for its own Team United and Team World against each other and all-star teams from other nations. The program also supports international player exchanges and provides logistical support to women's tackle football leagues in Central and South America, Europe, and Africa.

League history

The Women's Football Alliance was established in 2009 and began its inaugural season with 36 teams. Many of the teams were already established teams from other leagues such as

Women's Professional Football League The Women's Professional American Football League (WPFL) was a women's professional American football league in the United States. With teams across the United States, the WPFL had its first game in 1999 with just two original teams: the Lake Mic ...

Independent Women's Football League The Independent Women's Football League (IWFL) was the first Women's American football league established by women players for women players. The league was founded in 2000, began play in 2001, and played its last season in 2018. Members of th ...

and

National Women's Football Association The National Women's Football Association (NWFA) was a full-contact American football league for women headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The league was founded by Catherine Masters in 2000, as the two benchmark teams, the Alabama Renegades ...

, while others began their inaugural season of play in the WFA.

2009

The first season of play ended with a championship game, which was played in the rebuilding (post-

Katrina Katrina or Katrine may refer to: People * Katrina (given name) * Katrine (given name) Meteorology * List of storms named Katrina, a list of tropical cyclones designated as Katrina ** Hurricane Katrina, an exceptionally powerful Atlantic hurrican ...

) city of

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

and was hosted by the

New Orleans Blaze The Louisiana Jazz was a women's American football team in the Women's Football Alliance. They played their home games at St. Martin's Episcopal School. History New Orleans Spice The New Orleans Spice women's football team was established in 20 ...

. The game was between the

St. Louis Slam The St. Louis Slam is a women's professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They play in the Pro Division of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). Home games are played at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium on the campus of Lindenwood ...

(American Conference – St. Louis, MO) and the

West Michigan Mayhem The West Michigan Mayhem is a women's professional American football team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Mayhem played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2002 until ...

(National Conference – Kalamazoo, MI). St. Louis became the first WFA National Champions with a final game score of 21–14. Additionally, there was an International Game played between the Aguilas Regias of

Monterrey, Mexico Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...

and the hosting team, New Orleans Blaze. The Blaze won this game 12–0.

2010

The WFA grew in the second year (2010) to have over 40 teams competing for the national championship. The national championship for the 2010 season was accompanied by the first All-American game. The term All-American is used by the WFA to represent the best players at all positions from all WFA teams. The teams were chosen partly based on statistics and partly based on the vote of head coaches. The All-American game was played just before the championship game in

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

and was hosted by the

Las Vegas Showgirlz The Las Vegas Showgirlz were a team in the Women's Football Alliance. Based in Summerlin, Nevada, the Showgirlz played their home games on the campus of Faith Lutheran Jr/Sr High School in the city's upscale Summerlin district. Before joining t ...

. The All-American game was won by the American Conference. The second championship in the WFA would again come down to the last few plays and have a score differential of only four points. The

Lone Star Mustangs The Lone Star Mustangs are a team of the Women's Football Alliance. Based in Bedford Texas (part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex), the Mustangs play their home games at Pennington Field (the campus was formerly M.B. Smiley High School). H ...

(American Conference – Dallas/Fort Worth) defeated the

Columbus Comets The Columbus Comets are a women's professional American football team based in Columbus, Ohio. They play in the Women's Football Alliance. The Comets played in the National Women's Football Association from their inception in 2003 until 2008 ( ...

(National Conference – Columbus, Ohio) to become the second National Champions of the WFA by a score of 16–12.

2011

As the Women's Football Alliance prepared for the 2011 season, they were scheduled to have over 60 teams playing across the United States. They again grew due in part to new teams starting and in part due to established teams moving in from other leagues, most notably the

New York Sharks The New York Sharks were a women's American football team that was based in New York City. Their final season in 2018 was played as a member team of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). They were the longest running and most winning team in women ...

, D.C. Divas,

Chicago Force The Chicago Force was a women's American football team. Founded in 2003 by Lisa Cole, the team played at De La Salle HS & St. Rita HS – both on Chicago's South side; Lane Stadium at Lane Technical College Prep High School, Holmgren Athletic Com ...

Dallas Diamonds The Dallas Diamonds was a women's professional American football team in the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). The Diamonds were made up of 46 players and a coaching staff of 10. The Diamonds won four national championships; the first three were ...

, and

Kansas City Tribe The Kansas City Tribe is a football team in the Women's Football Alliance based in Kansas City, Missouri. Home games are played at Center High School. History 2008 Founded by Colin Stoner, John Van Sittert, and Mindy White, the Tribe began as ...

. In the 2011 WFA championship, which was held in

Bedford, Texas Bedford is a city located in northeast Tarrant County, Texas, in the " Mid-Cities" area between Dallas and Fort Worth. It is a suburb of Dallas and Fort Worth. The population was 46,979 at the 2010 census. Bedford is part of the Hurst-Euless-Be ...

, the

Boston Militia The Boston Militia were a women's full-contact football team in the Women's Football Alliance of which they were two-time champions (2011, 2014). Previously, the Militia played in the Independent Women's Football League from 2008 until 2010, winnin ...

defeated the

San Diego Surge The San Diego Surge was a team of the Women's Football Alliance that began play in the 2011 Women's Football Alliance season, 2011 season. Home games for the 2012 season will be played at Santana High School in Santee California. In past seasons, ...

34–19 to claim the title.

2012

The WFA opened the season with 60 teams. The 2012 WFA National Championship game took place at

Heinz Field Acrisure Stadium is a football stadium located in the North Shore neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It primarily serves as the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) and the Pittsburgh Panth ...

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

, home stadium of the NFL franchise Pittsburgh Steelers; it was the first women's football championship game to be played in an NFL stadium. After losing the title game in the previous season, the

returned to win the 2012 championship 40–36 over the

2013

The WFA opened the season with 50 teams. Running back Whitney Zelee (

) made headlines in 2013 by becoming the league's first player to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a football season, setting a league record of 2,128 yards. After losing the title game in the previous season, the

returned to win the 2013 championship over the

81–34 at

Balboa Stadium Balboa Stadium is an American football and soccer stadium on the west coast of the United States, located in San Diego, California. Just east of San Diego High School, the original stadium was built in 1914 as part of the 1915 Panama–Californ ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

2014

The WFA opened the season with 42 teams. The preseason was capped by the inaugural WFA International Bowl, in which the Mexican All-Stars defeated the

Austin Outlaws The Austin Outlaws are a women's football team in the Women's Football Alliance. They are based in Austin, Texas. Home games are played at Chaparral Stadium on the campus of Westlake High School. Founded in 2001 as a charter member of the In ...

in exhibition. The

became the league's first two-time champion in 2014, winning 69–34 in a title rematch with the

Lane Tech Lane Tech College Prep High School (often shortened to Lane Tech, full name Albert Grannis Lane Technical College Preparatory High School), is a public 4-year selective enrollment magnet high school located in the Roscoe Village neighborhood on ...

Stadium in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. During championship weekend, the league introduced a new mid-major bowl game: the Alliance Bowl. The

Seattle Majestics The Seattle Majestics are a women's American football team based in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Majestics play in the WNFC. Home games are played at French Field on the campus of Kent Meridian High School in Kent, Washington. The tea ...

of the American Conference faced the

Indy Crash The Indy Crash was a women's full contact football team of the Women's Football Alliance based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at Roncalli High School. Season-by-season , - , 2011 , , 6 , , 2 , , 0 , , 1st National North C ...

of the National Conference in a contest to "showcase of the depth of quality teams that exist in the Women's Football Alliance." The

prevailed 26–12. This season was also notable for the introduction of

Kenneth Massey Kenneth Massey is an American sports statistician known for his development of a methodology for ranking and rating sports teams in a variety of sports. His ratings have been a part of the Bowl Championship Series since the 1999 season. He is ...

Ratings into the league's playoffs system.

2015

The WFA opened the season with 40 teams, the fewest since the league was first established in 2009. The preseason concluded with the second WFA International Bowl Game Series, in which the Mexican All-Stars went 1–1, defeating the Tacoma Trauma before falling to the

. On August 8, 2015, the D.C. Divas defeated the

Dallas Elite The Dallas Elite Women's Football team is an American women's tackle football team playing in Division I of the Women's Football Alliance (WFA). The team, based in and around Dallas, Texas, was founded in 2014. The Dallas Elite reached the playo ...

30–26 in the WFA National Championship game at Los Angeles (Calif.) Southwest College Stadium. The

Central Cal War Angels The Central Cal War Angels were a team of the Women's Football Alliance which began play for the 2010 season. Based in Fresno, California, the War Angels play their home games on the campus of Fresno City College. Season-By-Season 2010 St ...

beat the Atlanta Phoenix 28–8 in the Alliance Bowl, an invitational bowl game also held during championship weekend.

2016

WFA executives launched a new, tiered league structure consisting of three divisions, similar to that of NCAA Football. The league opened the season with 43 teams (11 in Division 1, 16 in Division 2, and 16 in Division 3). The WFA also announced the W Bowl as their new brand for the WFA National Championship game. With a 28–26 victory over the

, the D.C. Divas won the inaugural W Bowl and their second national championship in as many years. The

downed the Tampa Bay Inferno 38–7 to claim the Division 2 championship. The

Acadiana Zydeco The Zydeco Spice is a team in the Women's Football Alliance. The team began play in the 2010 season as the Acadiana Zydeco and returned for the 2021 season under a new name. Based in the Acadiana region (and more specifically the Lafayette met ...

defeated the Richmond Black Widows 20–18 in the Division 3 title game. All three games were played at Joe P. Michaela Stadium in Imperial, Pa. Allison Cahill of the

Boston Renegades Boston Renegades was an American women’s soccer team, founded in 2003. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues USL W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada. The team plays in the Northeast Divisi ...

reached a new milestone in sports by becoming the first quarterback to attain 100 victories playing exclusively in women's football leagues.

2017

The league expanded to 65 teams (15 in Division 1, 19 in Division 2, and 31 in Division 3). On July 22, the

claimed the Division 1 National Championship, dubbed W Bowl II, with a 31–21 outcome against the

at Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The

repeated as Division 2 champions after a rematch in the title game against

Tampa Bay Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater ...

finished 42–15. The Arkansas Wildcats beat the

Orlando Anarchy The Orlando Anarchy are a women's American football team based in the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area. They currently play in the Women's Football Alliance. They play their home games at Trinity Preparatory School in the city of Winter ...

42–26 to claim the Division 3 trophy.

2018

The league opened the season with 67 teams (9 in Division 1, 16 in Division 2, and 39 in Division 3). On July 28, the

won the Division 1 National Championship game 42–18 over the

Fifth Third Bank Stadium Fifth Third Bank Stadium, known as Kennesaw State University Stadium until 2013, is a stadium near Kennesaw, Georgia, that is primarily used as the home for the Kennesaw State Owls football team as well as the KSU women's soccer and women's lac ...

Kennesaw State University Kennesaw State University (KSU) is a public research university located in the state of Georgia with two different campuses in the Atlanta metropolitan area, one in Kennesaw and the other in Marietta on a combined of land. The school was fou ...

Kennesaw, Georgia Kennesaw is a suburban city northwest of Atlanta in Cobb County, Georgia, United States, located within the greater Atlanta metropolitan area. Known from its original settlement in the 1830s until 1887 as Big Shanty, it became Kennesaw under its ...

. The game was broadcast on ESPN3. The

claimed the Division 2 title with a 27–21 victory over the

Minnesota Vixen The Minnesota Vixen is a professional women's football team based in the Twin Cities. The team has been known as the Minnesota Vixens and Minneapolis Vixens prior to being known as the Vixen (note lack of "s"). Established in 1999, the Vixen are ...

. In a rematch of the 2017 Division 3 championship game, the

defeated the Arkansas Wildcats 46–0.

2019

The league opened with 62 teams (6 in Division 1, 18 in Division 2, and 38 in Division 3). The

repeated as league champions, matching the feat first accomplished by the D.C. Divas (2015, 2016). On July 13, Boston beat the Cali War 52–24 at the

Colorado School of Mines The Colorado School of Mines, informally called Mines, is a public research university in Golden, Colorado, founded in 1874. The school offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees in engineering, science, and mathematics, with a focus on ener ...

in Golden, Colorado. The game was broadcast on ESPN3. The

won their third Division 2 title in four years by downing the

Detroit Dark Angels The Detroit Dark Angels were a women's semi-professional American football team founded in 2010 by Chuck Lauber and Aaron Brothers. In 2014, the team was purchased and reorganized as a 501(c)3 corporation DDA Football Inc., by a group that includ ...

34–0. The

made their third consecutive trip to the Division 3 championship game but fell to the Nevada Storm 62–45.

2020

The 2020 season of the Women's Football Alliance was cancelled in its entirety due to health and safety concerns in regards to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Although regular season games were scheduled, none were played. The WFA signed deals with Eleven Sports/FTF Next Sports Network to broadcast ten 'WFA Game of the Week' events and eight games from the 2019 season on its cable network, streaming channels and website. They also established partnerships with Secret, Xenith, Wilson, Glazier Clinics, and Florida State University Interdisciplinary Center for Athletic Coaching. The WFA established the Women's Football Coaching Alliance (WFCA), and the 'WFA Gives Campaign'. The league also witnessed the release of two feature films focused on its players, "Born To Play," directed by Viridiana Lieberman, and "Open Field," directed by Kathy Kuras. "Born To Play" aired nationally on ESPN and internationally on ABC to widespread critical acclaim.

2021

In February, the WFA announced a five-year agreement with the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment Company for the league's championship games to be played at

Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, formerly Fawcett Stadium, is a football stadium and entertainment complex in Canton, Ohio. It is a major component of ''Hall of Fame Village'', located adjacent to the grounds of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The ...

Hall of Fame Village The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...

in Canton, Ohio. The league resumed play after a 2020 season lost to global pandemic. Scheduling challenges and safety concerns necessitated a delayed start (May instead of April) and a shortened season (6 regular season games instead of 8). The 2021 season opened with 49 teams (7 in Division 1, 12 in Division 2, and 30 in Division 3). On July 24, the

collected their third consecutive league title with a 42–26 victory over the

. The

Nevada Storm Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, t ...

defeated the

42–18 to win the Division 2 title. The

Derby City Dynamite The Derby City Dynamite is a women's professional full-contact/tackle football team of the Women's Football Alliance that began play in 2012. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, the Dynamite's home venue is John Hardin High School in Elizabethtown. ...

claimed the Division 3 crown with a 30–20 victory over the Arizona Outkast. All three championship games and the 2021 All-American game were broadcast on

Next Level Sports Next Level Sports is an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television channel. The network also operates an online presence under the alternate brand For the Fans (FTF). History In March 2017, the U.S. international sports channe ...

television channel and

FTF Next Next Level Sports is an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television channel. The network also operates an online presence under the alternate brand For the Fans (FTF). History In March 2017, the U.S. international sports channel ...

streaming channel.

2022

Heading into the 2022 season, the WFA rebranded Division 1 as the Pro Division and labeled the level as "WFA Pro." The league started the season with 59 teams: 11 in the Pro Division, 12 in Division 2, and 27 in Division 3. The league also added a developmental level that launched with nine teams. The league's championship games again took place at

in Canton, Ohio. On July 10, the

collected their fourth consecutive league title with a 32–12 victory over the

. On July 9, the Mile High Blaze defeated the

21–20 to win the Division 2 title, and the Oklahoma City Lady Force claimed the Division 3 crown with a 25–0 victory over the

Capital City Savages Capital may refer to: Common uses * Capital city, a municipality of primary status ** List of national capitals, List of national capital cities * Capital letter, an upper-case letter Economics and social sciences * Capital (economics), the dura ...

. The National Conference won the All-American Game 14-12. For the first time, the WFA Pro National Championship Game was broadcast on ESPN2. AdeNation was the name sponsor for the championship game while Xenith sponsored the WFA All-American Game. The WFA also signed a multi-year licensing deal with Fathead and brought back "The Road To Canton" television show for a second season.

WFA Teams

Women's Football Alliance 2022 Season Active Teams (64)

Expansion 2023 and inactive teams

WFA PRO Championship Game results

WFA Division II Championship Game results

WFA Division III Championship Game results

Alliance Bowl results

Alliance Bowl Midwest Region results

References

External links

* {{Top sport leagues in the United States Sports leagues established in 2008 Professional sports leagues in the United States Women's American football leagues 2008 establishments in the United States