Mayville State University is making history as North Dakota's first collegiate women's flag football program takes flight, with former quarterback Tim Salmon leading the charge as head coach for the inaugural 2027 season.

Scheduled to kick off in spring 2027, the Comets will play a 10-game independent schedule with a roster of 10 to 15 athletes. Home games will be held at Jerome Berg Field, and the program will offer scholarships from day one, with plans to join the NAIA by 2027.

"We have scholarship dollars available to anyone who's looking to play flag football as we build this program," said athletic director Rocky Larson. "We're excited to join this movement and be the first college in the state of North Dakota to get this thing off the ground."

The NAIA first recognized women's flag football as a varsity sport in 2021, and the Frontier Conference—along with other North Dakota colleges—is now exploring adoption. This growing momentum makes Mayville State's timing perfect.

Tim Salmon, a former four-year team captain at Mayville State who graduated in 2025, steps into the head coaching role after serving as an assistant coach for the Comets. While he hasn't coached flag football before, Larson called the hire "a no-brainer" due to Salmon's leadership and deep ties to the university.

"I am absolutely thrilled," Salmon said. "I think it's a great opportunity, not just for me, but to grow the sport in general. If you look around the nation, it's such a fast-growing sport. To bring it to North Dakota, as well as add more opportunities for college sports here, I think it's great."

Salmon acknowledges the learning curve but sees the similarities between traditional football and flag football as an advantage. "There are a lot of similarities, but there are also enough differences that it makes it exciting for me," he said. "I'm going to have to learn some new stuff, but there are also enough similarities where I'm able to use what I have in my experience playing that style of football."

Salmon has already hit the recruiting trail, seeking athletes from multiple sports to build the program. The timing aligns with growing interest at the grassroots level: the Fargo Park District launched North Dakota's first high school girls flag football program this year, and Greater Grand Forks Youth Football introduced girls-only flag football for kindergarten through 12th grade in 2025.

As the sport continues its rapid expansion across the nation, Mayville State is poised to be a trailblazer in the region—and with Salmon at the helm, the Comets are ready to make their mark.