Women's National Football Conference
The Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) is an amateur[1] full-contact Women's American football league in the United States. With teams across the United States, the WNFC had its first game in 2019 with fourteen regular teams and one exhibition team.
Current season, competition or edition: 2022 Women's National Football Conference season | |
Sport | Women's American football |
---|---|
Founded | 2018 |
Inaugural season | 2019 |
President | Odessa Jenkins |
Commissioner | Janice Masters |
No. of teams | 18 |
Country |
|
Most recent champion(s) | Texas Elite Spartans |
Sponsor(s) | Adidas United Sports Brands |
Official website | wnfcfootball.com |
League history
The Women's National Football Conference was founded in 2018, with their inaugural season in 2019. On their website, the WNFC describes themselves as looking to create a standard of excellence and opportunities. The WNFC does not charge teams of players a fee for entry into the league; rather, teams are invited into the league based on quality of market, team, players and ownership.[2]
On December 10, 2018, the WNFC announced a partnership with Adidas, as part of the latter's "She Breaks Barriers" initiative.[3] As part of that partnership, Adidas serves as the WNFC's presenting sponsor, with all WNFC teams wearing custom-made Adidas uniforms.
2019
The WNFC played their inaugural season in 2019 with fourteen regular teams and one exhibition team. Five teams came to the WNFC from the Independent Women's Football League (which folded after the 2018 season), three from the WFA, two from the USWFL and five were brand-new teams playing their inaugural season in the WNFC.
The season began on April 6 and ended with the inaugural IX Cup (named in honor of Title IX) on June 29, which saw the Texas Elite Spartans defeat the Utah Falconz 19-14.[4]
2020
The WNFC added seven teams for the 2020 season; three from the WFA, two from the USWFL and three expansion teams. No games were played due to Covid-19.
2021
The WNFC returned to play on May 1, 2021. The league provided weekly Covid-19 testing for all its 20 teams. All games were streamed on the Vyre Network. The season ended with Texas Elite Spartans defeating the San Diego Rebellion 27-6.
2022
The WNFC played Week 1 of its 2022 season on April 2. All games were streamed on the Vyre Network.
Teams
Team | Location | Venue | Head coach | Founded | Joined | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pacific Conference | |||||||
Denver Bandits | Aurora, Colorado | Aurora Public Schools Stadium | Marcel Sampson | 2018 | 2019 | ||
Las Vegas Silver Stars | Las Vegas, Nevada | Eldorado High School | Carrie Walters | 2017 | 2019 | ||
Los Angeles Bobcats | Los Angeles, California | Rancho Cienega Sports Complex | Timothy Holmes | 2015 | 2019 | ||
Phoenix Prowlers | Phoenix, Arizona | Buckeye Union High School | Joseph Ramirez | 2018 | 2019 | ||
San Diego Rebellion | San Diego, California | Balboa Stadium | Knengi Martin | 2017 | 2019 | ||
Seattle Majestics | Kent, Washington | French Field | Scott McCarron | 2002 | 2019 | ||
Utah Falconz | Murray, Utah | Cottonwood High School | Rick Rasmussen | 2002 | 2019 | ||
Atlantic Conference | |||||||
Alabama Fire | Birmingham, Alabama | Panther Stadium | Cedric Lane | 2015 | 2019 | ||
Atlanta Phoenix | Mableton, Georgia | Pebblebrook High School | Brian Montgomery | 2011 | 2019 | ||
Houston Heat | Missouri City, Texas | Various | Daryl Hobbs | 2017 | 2019 | ||
Nebraska Nite Hawks | Bellevue, Nebraska | Bellevue West High School | Vershan Jackson | 2018 | 2019 | ||
Texas Elite Spartans | Addison, Texas | Alfred J. Loos Stadium | Odessa Jenkins | 2017 | 2019 | ||
Joining in 2020 | |||||||
Carolina Queens | Charlotte, North Carolina | TBD | TBD | 2004 | 2020 | ||
Florida Avengers | Jacksonville, Florida | TBD | TBD | 2019 | 2020 | ||
Kansas City Glory | Kansas City, Missouri | TBD | KeKe Blackmon | 2019 | 2020 | ||
La Muerte de Las Cruces | Las Cruces, New Mexico | Field of Dreams | Billy Avalos | 2017 | 2020 | ||
Mississippi Lady Panthers | Jackson, Mississippi | Various | LeSteven Jackson | 2018 | 2020 | ||
Oregon Ravens | Portland, Oregon | Roosevelt High School | Tim Price | 2019 | 2020 | ||
Philadelphia Phantomz | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Marcus Foster Memorial Stadium | Rich Harrigan | 2015 | 2020 | ||
Washington Prodigy | Washington, D.C. | Woodrow Wilson High School | Tony Bell | 2012 | 2020 | ||
Los Angeles Legends Women's Tackle Football | Los Angeles, CA | Mira Costa High School | Armando Magdaleno | 2021 | 2022 |
Map of teams
Former teams
- New Orleans Hippies — Played in the WNFC in 2019
- North Florida Pumas — Played in the WNFC in 2019, now a member of the Women's Tackle Football League.
- San Diego Surge — Played in the WNFC in 2019
- Nebraska Nite Hawks — Played in the WNFC in 2019-2021
- Carolina Queens — Played in the WNFC in 2021
- Los Angeles Bobcats — Played in the WNFC in 2019-2021
Timeline
IX Cup
Year | Title | Home team | Away team | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | 2019 IX Cup | Texas Elite Spartans | Utah Falconz | 19–14 |
2021 | 2021 IX Cup | Texas Elite Spartans | San Diego Rebellion | 27–6 |
References
- "ABOUT | About | Women's National Football Conference". WNFC. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- About Us - WNFCFootball.com
- "ADIDAS KICKS OFF INITIATIVE TO BREAK DOWN BARRIERS FACED BY WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SPORT". Adidas.com. December 10, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
- "WNFC'S IX CUP CHAMPIONSHIP LIVES UP TO THE HYPE!". July 9, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.