In 2028, flag football heads to the Olympics, and USA Football is steering the ship. In this episode, John and Tim talk with Scott Hallenbeck, CEO of USA Football, and Callie Brownson, former NFL coach and current head of high-performance for the U.S. national teams, about the rapid rise of the sport and what it means for athletes across the country.
Scott walks us through USA Football’s evolution into the nation’s first governing body for the sport. He explains how the NFL’s investment, international momentum, and the IOC’s push toward smaller-team disciplines created the perfect pathway for Olympic inclusion. Callie shares a behind-the-scenes look at building elite men’s and women’s national teams from youth development pipelines to talent transfer athletes and the growing number of states sanctioning girls’ high school flag.
The conversation dives into the global surge of participation, the economics fueling the sport, and which countries pose the biggest competition in Los Angeles. The world is embracing a new version of American football, and Team USA is racing toward gold in 2028.
