Women's National Football Conference

What Women's National Football Conference does

The Women's National Football Conference (WNFC) operates the most established professional women's American football league in the United States, fielding 16 teams across two conferences (Western and Eastern) and four divisions (Pacific, Northwest, Central, Atlantic). Approximately 900 women athletes compete in professional tackle football under the league's banner, with a stated mission to make tackle football a living-wage profession for women. The league's flagship product is the annual IX Cup Championship, broadcast nationally on ESPN2 and hosted at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas (the Dallas Cowboys' world headquarters); the 2026 IX Cup Championship Weekend ran June 20–21, 2026.

WNFC monetizes through a diversified mix: media rights (ESPN2 championship broadcast recently extended to a two-year deal), streaming (free via Victory+, positioned as the home of women's professional football), sponsorship (adidas, Dove, Riddell, DRNX, Big Game), live-event ticket sales (SeatGeek, $25+ for championship general admission), and direct-to-consumer merchandise via the WNFC Fan Shop ($3 decals to $110 footballs; gift card denominations $25–$200). On the technology/operations layer, the WNFC is the first league to deploy Fastbreak AI's full suite — AI-powered scheduling, travel automation, ticketing, sponsorship management, athlete registration, and event analytics — adopted for the 2026 season.

Beyond tackle football, the WNFC operates a vertically integrated ecosystem: WNFC Flag Football (youth tournaments, high-school competitions, adult national championships), the Varsity Top 100 high-school girls' showcase (now in its 5th year at Ford Center at The Star), and the Got Her Back 501c3 non-profit for girls and women in football. The league is privately held, was founded with Odessa "OJ" Jenkins as Founder and CEO, lists 1–10 corporate employees, and is actively preparing a Series A round intended to eliminate pay-to-play across the ecosystem.

Name

Women's National Football Conference

Legal name

Women's National Football Conference

Website

https://wnfcfootball.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Women's National Football Conference operates the leading professional women's American football league in the US, fielding 16 teams and approximately 900 athletes, with its IX Cup Championship broadcast on ESPN2 and a youth-to-professional pipeline via flag football.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports League

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro primary industry

American Football Leagues (MPAKAAAB)

Keywords

• Professional women's football
• Women's tackle football league
• Flag football programs
• Sports broadcasting rights
• Women's sports merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Rowlett

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Media Rights & Broadcasting: ESPN2 broadcast deal for championship game, expanded from one-year to two-year agreement
2. Streaming Rights: Partnership with Victory+ for streaming WNFC content
3. Ticket Sales: Championship Weekend ticket sales starting at $25, sold through SeatGeek platform
4. Merchandise & Fan Shop: E-commerce sales of apparel, accessories, and collectibles through WNFC Fan Shop with prices ranging from $3 decals to $110 footballs
5. Sponsorship: Partnerships with sponsors including adidas, Dove, ESPN, Victory+, DRNX, Riddell, and Big Game for branding, product support, and marketing activations
6. Fundraising: Series A fundraising round in preparation to eliminate pay-to-play across the ecosystem

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The WNFC operates the premier professional women's American football league in the United States, fielding 16 teams across two conferences (Western and Eastern) and four divisions that compete annually for the IX Cup Championship. Beyond tackle football, the league runs flag football programs including the Varsity Top 100 youth tournament, sells branded merchandise through the WNFC Fan Shop, broadcasts championship games on ESPN2, and streams regular-season content on Victory+.

Product overview

The WNFC operates the premier professional women's American football league in the United States, featuring the core tackle football competition with 16 teams across Eastern and Western Conferences. The product portfolio includes the flagship IX Cup Championship (broadcast on ESPN2), the WNFC Flag Football program (including Varsity Top 100 youth tournament and Adult National Flag Championship), the WNFC Fan Shop (merchandise and apparel), and the Championship Weekend (multi-day celebration combining youth competitions, the main championship game, and fan fest activities). The organization also supports the Got Her Back 501c3 non-profit foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• WNFC Professional Women's Football League The premier professional women's American football league in the United States, fielding 16 teams organized into two conferences (Western and Eastern) and four divisions that compete annually for the IX Cup Championship.
• IX Cup Championship The WNFC's annual championship game deciding the league title, broadcast nationally on ESPN2 with teams competing for the IX Cup Trophy.
• Varsity Top 100 Tournament Annual high school girls flag football tournament showcasing top prospects with college recruiting opportunities, hosted at Ford Center at The Star.
• WNFC Flag Football Flag football programs including youth tournaments, high school competitions, and adult national championships designed to create pathways from youth to professional levels.
• WNFC Fan Shop Official merchandise store including team apparel, IX Cup merchandise, Her Game collection, and specialty items like footballs and accessories.
• Victory+ WNFC Streaming Free streaming platform for watching WNFC games and content, serving as the home of women's professional football.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% attendance increase during the 2026 season
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• RiddellflagshipOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 15 June 2026Six-year partnership expanded to include flag football. Riddell is the exclusive protective headgear partner across both WNFC Tackle and WNFC Flag Football events and competitions. Provides premium protective headgear for athletes and exclusive access and discounts on Riddell products for WNFC athletes.
• ESPNflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 June 2026Expanded media rights deal from one-year to two-year agreement, keeping the WNFC IX Cup Championship Game on ESPN2. ESPN is involved in marketing the professional women's tackle-football league and leveraging its broader portfolio including NFL Network to promote the WNFC.
• Fastbreak AIcoreTechnology or Integration · 4 March 2026AI-powered scheduling and operations partner for the 2026 season. The WNFC is the first to utilize Fastbreak's full suite of operations technology including travel automation, ticketing, sponsorship management, athlete registration, and event analytics.
• Victory+coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFree streaming partner for WNFC games. The Home of Women's Professional Football, Victory+ streams WNFC content for fans.
• adidasflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor and partner providing apparel and equipment. Introduced Alabama State flag football star Kiona Kilolo Westerlund as only the second women's football athlete ever signed by the brand.
• DovemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the WNFC, present at championship events. Dove presented the 2026 Crown Award to Texas Elite Spartans linebacker Darcy Leslie.
• DRNXmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the WNFC with halftime performance at the 2026 championship featuring Detroit rap sensation SBR Peezyy.
• Big GameminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the WNFC league.
• Got Her BackcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501c3 non-profit organization of the WNFC that exists to celebrate and empower girls and women in football. The mission is to create connections and confidence in female football players through visibility, education and mentorship. WNFC x GHB collaboration merchandise sold in fan shop.
• Dallas Cowboys / Ford Center at The StarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe WNFC hosts its Championship Weekend at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas - the world headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys. This provides a world-class venue for the league's marquee event.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Women's Football Alliance: The Women's Football Alliance (WFA) is another full-contact women's American football league operating teams across the United States. It is the most direct competitor to WNFC in women's tackle football, with overlapping athlete pipeline, fan base, and competing for similar sponsorship and broadcast opportunities.
• X League: The X League (formerly the Legends Football League / LFL) is another U.S.-based women's tackle football league with a comparable product offering of full-contact women's football. It overlaps with WNFC on sport category, target athletes, and audience demographic of women's sports fans.

Broad incumbents

• Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA): The WNBA is the largest and most established women's professional sports league in the United States. It competes with WNFC for the same corporate sponsors, broadcast partners (including ESPN), and women's sports fan attention, and represents the aspirational scale benchmark for any women's pro league.
• National Women's Soccer League (NWSL): The NWSL is a major U.S. women's professional sports league that, like WNFC, has benefited from rising women's sports media rights, major brand sponsorship, and broadcast expansion. It competes with WNFC for sponsor dollars, ESPN inventory, and the broader women's sports audience.
• Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL): The PWHL is a newer women's professional sports league (launched 2024) that has rapidly secured national broadcast deals and major sponsorships. It is a relevant comparable for a women's pro league pursuing mainstream media rights and corporate partnerships in a similar growth phase.
• United Football League (UFL): The UFL is a U.S.-based professional spring American football league formed by merging the USFL and XFL. While men's football, it is a comparable alternative-football league that competes in similar fan, venue, and broadcast categories and shares operational challenges of running a non-NFL football property.

Emerging players

• Athletes Unlimited: Athletes Unlimited operates women's professional sports leagues with an innovative player-centric model across multiple sports. It overlaps with WNFC in the women's pro sports ecosystem, competing for athlete talent, sponsor interest, and emerging-media partnerships.

Others

• Premier Lacrosse League: The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is a newer alternative professional sports league built around a non-mainstream U.S. sport that secured premium media rights (ESPN) and brand sponsorships. It is a relevant comparable for WNFC's business model of building a modern professional league around an underserved sport with a media-led GTM motion.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wnfcfootball
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCn0DWx3cTFctSDBB_qOs2QQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/thewnfc
• Instagraminstagram.com/WNFCFOOTBALL
• TikToktiktok.com/@wnfcfootball
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wnfcfootball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Women's National Football Conference