The countdown to the NFL Flag Championships begins on July 11 at Jacksonville University, with the first of a series of Jaguars PREP activities leading to 11 teams representing the franchise who will play in the third edition of the championship at the Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Ind., July 23-26.
Seven of the 11 teams are Jaguars Elite, who will go against teams representing other NFL teams from the ages of 8U to high school. The teams won their divisions in the Jaguars NFL Flag Regional in March.
The Jaguars Elite 14U boys team is the defending champions, going 7-0 last year at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, led by NFL Flag Player of the Year Brysen Wright, a wide receiver/defensive back and quarterback Dalton Motes.
The month of programs is designed to develop talent, expand access and elevate flag and tackle football pathways for student-athletes in North Florida and Southeast Georgia. More than 1,000 boys and girls will participate, with past Jaguars players and other guests on hand to support them.
Jaguars PREP is an initiative committed to growing the game of football throughout Northeast Florida, removing barriers of accessibility, encouraging health and safety, building strong character and enhancing opportunities and resources for youth and high school football athletes.
Among the activities:
Nike Girls Flag Summer Tournament, July 11
Held at Jacksonville University from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., 17 Northeast Florida girls high school teams will compete in round-robin games until a champion is crowned. There will also be a tug-of-war competition. The day will begin with opening remarks, followed by games from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and the tug-of-war contest from 4:15-5 p.m. before playoff competition (5-8 p.m.).
Global Leadership Field opening, July 18
The Jaguars and the Global Leadership Academy will unveil a new football field at the ARTS campus on Lusso Lane in Jacksonville with a ribbon-cutting at 9:50 a.m. A $200,000 grant from the NFL Foundation helped finance the facility.
After the ceremony, the inaugural youth football camp will be held, with around 120 youth from the school participating, cheered on by The Roar of the Jaguars.
High School Media Day, July 21
The Jaguars and Baker’s Sporting Goods will host the annual High School Media Day at the Jags Miller Electric Center, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. High school football athletes will participate in NFL-style activities, including professional photoshoots similar to NFL Media Days and press conference interviews with credentialed media members ahead of the upcoming football season.
Jaguars Elite Girls Flag Signing Day, July 21
After the high school media day, the newest members of the Jaguars Elite Girls flag football teams will sign contracts to officially join the program. Jaguars Elite has been a proven pathway to the NFL FLAG Championships with all four Jaguars Elite girls flag football teams (High School, 14U, 12U and 10U) qualifying for the 2026 NFL FLAG Championships.
Appearing will be London Jenkins, a Fleming Island graduate and 2025 Times-Union girls flag football Player of the Year, who helped Florida Gateway College win the 2025 National Junior College championship.
2026 NFL FLAG Championships, July 23-26
More than 350 boys and girls teams will compete at the Droplight Grand Park Sports Campus, a 400-acre facility just north of Indianapolis with 34 multi-purpose fields, three full-size indoor fields and a 377,000-square-foot events center. It is home to the Indiana Pacers and the Indy Eleven pro soccer team.
Games involving girls and boys 14U and high school teams will air on ESPN, ABC, Disney and the NFL Network.
The events are open only to the scheduled participants.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars PREP begins a month of activities leading to NFL Flag Championships
Reporting by Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Garry Smits, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union | USA TODAY Network
