DETROIT - The Detroit Lions announced today their Week 2 regular season game at Ford Field against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Kickoff 1 PM) will be themed Women In Football presented by GEICO. This game marks the second installment of the initiative originally created by the Lions, following its NFL debut during the 2023 season to celebrate the countless ways in which women impact the game of football.
GEICO is partnering with teams and women creators throughout the NFL season who are making content that delivers a fresh perspective on the sport. This Sunday during pregame, at halftime, and throughout the game, the Lions will have programming that shows the team's commitment to elevating women as players, coaches and leaders in football, and demonstrates how critical women are to drive the sport forward.
As part of the celebration, Diana Flores, star quarterback of Mexico's gold medal-winning Women's Flag Football National Team, has been chosen to serve as Honorary Captain and will join the Lions players for the coin toss. Since she was 8 years old, Flores has had a passion for the game and led her team to gold at the 2022 World Games. She is a Global Flag Football ambassador for the NFL and IFAF (International Federation of American Football), promoting the sport as a 2028 Olympic sport, and hopes to be an inspiration for the next generation of Lions fans.
Lions Women In Football elements will include a pregame Q&A attended by 65 high school girls who play in both the Detroit Lions and Tampa Bay Buccaneers Girls Flag Football leagues. The programming will highlight the importance of inclusiveness within football, moderated by VP of Brand and Consumer Marketing for the NFL Sarah Bishop and Flores.
During the National Anthem, Lions Loyal Members will be on-field for a special Women In Football flag ceremony. Approximately 50 young women who participated in the Detroit Lions High School Girls Flag Football pilot league will stand in front of the Lions sideline. Thirteen participants in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Girls Flag Football program will be represented while standing in front of Buccaneers players on their sideline.
At halftime, the Lions will recognize the Detroit Lions High School Girls Flag Football pilot league and recap the best moments from this past spring's matchups and host a flag football scrimmage on the field between Birmingham Groves and Redford Union, giving young women the opportunity to display their athleticism and compete.
The Detroit Lions will also recognize the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, which has awarded a $325,000 grant spanning the next three years to support the Detroit Lions Foundation's efforts in expanding flag football across Michigan. Inspired by last year's Women In Football game, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is funding opportunities for girls to play at the middle school and high school levels.
During last year's game, the Lions hosted more than 100 girls flag football players from Michigan and Georgia and six C-Level women NFL Executives to observe and participate in the day's programming. Other highlights resulting from the 2023 Women In Football game include distributing more than $200,000 in grants and scholarships and being recognized by the NFL as a Best Practice to drive momentum around girls flag football nationally. Since then, the Detroit Lions Girls Flag Football League has grown sixfold, from four to 24 teams, with over 600 girls participating in the 2024 season this past spring. The team expects even more growth in the coming years to aid in establishing high school girls flag football as an official interscholastic sport in Michigan.
For more information about Detroit Lions Women In Football game visit www.detroitlions.com.
