UW-Oshkosh Women’s Flag Football Team Debuts in First Sanctioned Contest

Oshkosh, Wis. – History was made Wednesday evening when the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh women’s flag football team stepped onto the field for its first-ever sanctioned game, hosting Aurora University before a crowd of several hundred students, families, and community supporters at a campus venue.

The Titans’ program, the newest addition to Titan Athletics, was assembled at breakneck speed. Head coach Deante Jefferson, hired only a few months ago, pieced together the roster entirely from current UW-Oshkosh students after putting out an open invitation to campus.

“We just said ‘hey if you want to come play, we’ll take you, and we’ll build with you,’” Jefferson explained. “We started practicing in the last week of January at 6 in the morning, so we just said ‘hey we’ll take what we have and we’ll go from there.’”

That abbreviated timeline—roughly three weeks between the first practice and opening kickoff—showed on the scoreboard, as Aurora University emerged with a 34-0 victory. Yet within the lopsided result, the Titans found validation for the culture they have already forged.

“The way I can call each one of those girls my sisters, and the way I can lean on every single one of them, and I’ve only known them for a month is insane,” said junior Ashlyn Clemens. “What we showed today is that we don’t quit and we’re never going to quit.”

Junior teammate Paige Vitek echoed the sentiment, emphasizing effort over outcome. “We went out there, we fought the whole time, we tried our best. It isn’t the result we wanted, but we seriously put some great grit and perseverance out there and I’m so proud of all these girls.”

Jefferson pointed to the stands as proof that the program has already succeeded in one crucial respect. “That felt good, and it means we have the support we know we already have, but also for the young women in our program it kind of solidified that people care about you and they see you,” he said. “It’s more just for the girls, getting the opportunity to do this, and play this sport, and we’re still excited; a lot of building is going to happen.”

With the inaugural game behind them, the Titans will look ahead to a March 22 doubleheader against Marian University and Illinois Wesleyan. For a roster that has already bought into the long-term vision, the next chapter can’t come soon enough.

“There’s no where to go but up from here and I’m excited to see where this program goes, and I’m so excited to be part of this history,” Clemens added.