The 2026 NFL FLAG Championships presented by Toyota are underway at Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield, Indiana, and a New York squad has punched its way into the semifinal round. According to News10, the Clifton Park-based All American Sports/RFP Patriots — competing under the name “Clifton Park Giants” — reached the semifinals of the 14U bracket for the second straight year.
Getting there wasn’t easy. Clifton Park opened with a 21-14 win over the Carolina Panthers regional representative in the Round of 16 on Friday, then followed it up Saturday morning with a 33-20 win over the Seattle Seahawks representative out of San Diego, News10 reported. That set up a semifinal matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers regional representative from Ocala, Florida — a game that tipped off Saturday at 10 a.m. ET, broadcast live on ESPN.
The Giants qualified for Westfield by winning a regional tournament hosted by the New York Giants. Eight players make up the roster, and half of them attend Christian Brothers Academy in the Capital Region, per News10.
A Bigger Stage Than Ever
This year’s tournament is the largest in the event’s three-year history. A record 350-plus boys’ and girls’ teams are competing across the weekend, and ESPN is airing 34 total games across its family of networks — ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, NFL Network, ESPN Deportes, Disney Channel and Disney XD — according to ESPN. It’s the most extensive linear coverage the championships have received since debuting in 2024.
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2026 @NFLFLAG Championships on ESPN/NFLNhttps://t.co/u9u8C2TJ7A to find a league near you pic.twitter.com/TOWryPuifP
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The tournament moved to Grand Park this year, the same complex that hosts Indianapolis Colts training camp. Coverage rolled out in stages: 16 games in the Round of 16 on Friday, 12 quarterfinal and international-division games Saturday, and six semifinal and championship games Sunday, per ESPN.
Every team in the field earned its spot the hard way. All 350-plus U.S. squads qualified by winning an NFL FLAG Regional Tournament hosted by one of the league’s 32 clubs during the fall and spring seasons, according to NFLFlag.com. This year’s bracket also folds in an international division for the first time at this scale, with 12 countries — including Brazil, Mexico, Australia and Germany — sending representatives.
| Round | Clifton Park Giants Result |
|---|---|
| Round of 16 (Fri.) | Def. Carolina Panthers rep, 21-14 |
| Quarterfinal (Sat.) | Def. Seattle Seahawks rep (San Diego), 33-20 |
| Semifinal (Sat.) | vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers rep (Ocala, FL), 10 a.m. ET on ESPN |
What’s Next
The 14U boys’ championship game is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC, part of a broadcast window that also includes the girls’ high school title game at 5 p.m. ET, per Get More Sports. Whichever team emerges from the Clifton Park–Ocala semifinal will need one more win to reach that stage.
Flag football’s growth is part of the story here, too. NFL executive vice president Peter O’Reilly pointed to the sport’s addition to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as a driver of its rising profile, telling reporters the international turnout this year reflects that momentum, according to High School Football America.
