Girls' flag football in Katy ISD moved a step closer to official UIL status Monday, Oct. 19. The University Interscholastic League (UIL) Legislative Council voted at its annual fall meeting in Austin to approve a pilot program starting in the 2028-29 school year, ABC13 reported.

The pilot will cover up to two classifications, including Class 5A and 6A schools, with elective participation possible for smaller schools, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Katy ISD's high schools compete in Class 6A.

The decision still needs approval from the Commissioner of Education. UIL staff will present a full implementation plan at the June 2027 legislative council meeting, the Houston Chronicle reported. The program would include a state championship in each conference, with district and regional qualifying events.

Katy ISD launched its first girls' flag football teams at the high school level this school year with support from the Houston Texans. Katy ISD Executive Athletic Director Lance Carter told CW39 that roughly 100 to 125 students tried out on each campus, with about 15 athletes selected per team.

"… It took about nine months to get to where we are," Carter said. "But it's about giving our young ladies another opportunity to go out and compete in a sport that's growing across the country."

The biggest open question is money.

Houston-area teams are currently funded by the Houston Texans, and the transition to UIL-sanctioned play raises cost concerns for districts. Pasadena ISD Athletic Director Patrick Longstreet pointed to expenses for uniforms, officials and game operations that the Texans have covered so far.

Susan Bohn, chair of the UIL's Standing Committee on Athletics, said at Monday's meeting that the NFL would not fund the UIL directly but would commit to some level of support for a limited period for schools launching programs, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The season itself remains undecided. UIL Executive Director Jamey Harrison said staff would evaluate all 12 months on the calendar. A spring season could conflict with track and field postseason meets, while a fall season would add strain given the state's shortage of game officials, UIL Director of Athletics Ray Zepeda said, according to the Dallas Morning News.

A fall 2026 survey of Texas superintendents found that 52% of respondents from 5A and 6A schools favored sanctioning girls' flag football. Across the state, 165 schools already participate. Flag football is set to debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, and the NCAA named women's flag football an emerging sport in January.

The UIL's most recent sport addition was water polo, which started as a pilot in 2022 and earned full sanction in 2025.