PHX Reporter

The emotions were starting to settle in for Mountain View's Ginny Wilson. She and her teammates are going to be a part of history.

Their high school girls' flag football games will air on TV, for the first time produced by a National Football League franchise.

"It's definitely nerve-wracking, but really cool that they're doing this for us," Wilson said.

It's being made possible through the Cardinals, State Farm, and Arizona's Family Sports. Starting on Sept. 17, eight games will be televised during the course of the season.

To commemorate the milestone, Wilson, her Mountain View teammates Kaylei Yazzie and Tierah Metcalf, Campo Verde's Izzy Pap and Madison Coger, and Hamilton's Samaya Taylor-Jenkins were invited to the team's Tempe facility.

Last month, the Cardinals invited 32 local girls' flag football athletes for an All-Star media day experience at the Dignity Health Training Facility. It was their first taste of what's to come with the cameras.

The support received from the organization hasn't gone unnoticed by the athletes.

"It really does mean a lot to us," Wilson said. "It's been so much fun to come here and practice here with new girls that I get to meet. We got really cool jerseys from them. It's been really fun."

Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill has attended girls' flag football games across the Valley. Whether it's standing on the sidelines or watching from the stands, there's an appreciation for the game.

"I'm blown away by the level of competition, especially at the high school level and these girls are just going to get better and better," Bidwill said. "I'm excited about women's football being a sport for the 2028 Olympics in L.A. I think we've got some girls here in Arizona that are going to be competing for the US team in 2028."

Flag football has grown exponentially within recent years. Last year, Mountain View and Mountain Pointe played in the first game sanctioned by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA), and just a few weeks ago, eight teams represented by Cardinals participated in Canton at the annual NFL Flag Championships.

As flag football has grown throughout the country, Cardinals have had a front-row seat to its expansion.

"We've been doing this for over 20 years with flag football around our state and building this game, and it's very similar to tackle football in terms of what it teaches players with all great virtues and values around it," Bidwill said. "Last year there were about 57 teams around Arizona participating; this year there are 104, so it's exploding in popularity around our state."

By having these games on television, Bidwill sees this as just beginning.

"I think we're going to lead way with Arizona's Family Sports and AIA," Bidwill said. "I think other states will start broadcasting their women's flag football at high school level."

"I'm so excited about this we'll put spotlight on these great athletes. Women athletes are getting attention now especially watching Olympics; it's great putting attention on high school athletes who may become Olympians down line."

With spotlight comes more opportunities showcase talents field excitement surrounding sport even creative celebrations

"We'll definitely have come up one once we get sack or something," Wilson said.