Fiesta Bowl sets new women's flag football standard with 8-team tournament featuring NCAA teams
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Rylen Bourguet sprinted down the sideline and then faked a curl toward the quarterback, juking her defender before continuing downfield. The pass that was already in the air was perfect and the Arizona State receiver hauled it in for the game-winning touchdown .
It was one of the many highlights of last week's inaugural Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic on the Arizona State campus. Bourguet is confident these game-winning scenes for women's flag football will become more common as the sport continues its widespread growth at the NCAA Division I level. The fast-paced game should also get a popularity boost from the upcoming 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles — there will be a men's and women's competition in Los Angeles and Bourguet hopes to part of the inaugural team.
“It was so awesome — it blew everything I've ever experienced out of the water,” Bourguet said of the Fiesta Bowl tournament. “It's great to see how much it's taking off at the youth level, the high school level and now the collegiate level. Seeing what it's become is so surreal — very excited for the generations to come that are going to play the sport.
” The Fiesta Bowl tournament was more evidence that one of the fastest-growing sports in the U. S isn't slowing down anytime soon. There were eight teams in attendance — Arizona State, Alabama State, Georgia, UCF, Florida, Grand Canyon, Charlotte and USC.
UCF beat Florida 19-7 to win the tournament title, which was televised on ESPNU. The Fiesta Bowl's Scott Leightman said that roughly 1,500 free tickets were redeemed for spectators at the two-day event. Fiesta Bowl executive director Erik Moses said the tournament went so well that he expects the field to expand in the coming years to 12 or 16 teams.
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