DNTF gives $1M to girls high school flag football programs in Carolinas

The David & Nicole Tepper Foundation announced an additional $1 million investment to support girls’ high school flag football programs across North Carolina and South Carolina. The funding follows the recent decision by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) to officially sanction girls’ flag football as a varsity high school sport. David Tepper and Nicole Tepper described the decision as a historic milestone for girls’ athletics, saying the sport will create long-term opportunities for young women to compete, grow, and succeed. They also emphasized their continued commitment to expanding access to girls’ flag football throughout both Carolinas. The new donation adds to more than $1.5 million already invested since 2022 by the Tepper Foundation and Panthers Charities. Those investments have supported grants, programming, equipment, and development efforts aimed at growing girls’ flag football at the high school level. Before the NCHSAA officially sanctioned the sport, 154 high schools in North Carolina and 55 schools in South Carolina had already committed to fielding girls’ flag football teams for the 2026–2027 season, demonstrating the sport’s rapid growth and popularity across the region. With the NCHSAA vote, North Carolina became the 22nd state in the United States to officially sanction girls’ flag football as a varsity sport. The sport is also expected to gain additional worldwide attention when it makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.