For Brock’s women’s flag football team, competing at the university level comes with a cost that often falls directly on the athletes. The team is primarily self-funded, with athletes paying a significant portion of their expenses out of pocket while also relying on fundraisers and outside sponsorships for additional support.
According to Kelsey McKnight, Operations Coordinator and player on the women’s flag football team, the team’s financial situation comes from its classification as a club team rather than varsity programs like basketball, hockey and rugby.
“They identify us as a club team, not a varsity team, which is the reason why we don’t get any funding, even though we represent Brock as a team,” McKnight said.
While the team represents Brock in competition, their club status means athletes are responsible for covering many of the costs associated with playing. Some of the team’s biggest expenses include tournament and league fees, travel, apparel and merchandise. For university students already balancing tuition, rent and food, those costs can quickly become difficult to manage. The financial limitations can also affect what the team is able to do on and off the field.
“Funding can have a major impact on performance,” McKnight said.
Without sufficient funding, the team can face limitations when it comes to coaching, training resources, equipment and opportunities to travel and compete. Those limitations have already forced the team to make difficult decisions. Last year, the team was invited to compete at a national tournament in Saskatchewan. However, the cost of travelling across the country would have been unrealistic for many of the athletes who are already paying expenses out of pocket.
Since the team was concerned about asking students to take on another financial burden, they were unable to take advantage of the opportunity.
For McKnight, more funding wouldn’t simply make competing easier, it would allow the athletes to focus more of their attention on improving as players.
“More funding would allow the team to create an environment to focus on competing and improving rather than worrying about financials,” she said.
The team is now looking toward outside sponsorships as one way to provide additional financial support. However, the need for outside funding reflects a larger challenge for the program with how to provide athletes with the resources they need while remaining classified as a club team.
That challenge could become even more significant as women’s flag football continues to grow. The sport has been gaining recognition quickly, and McKnight hopes that growth will eventually lead to a change in the sports status at Brock. That possibility could become particularly important with U SPORTS recently announcing plans to explore adding flag football to its programming for the 2027-28 season. If flag football reaches the U SPORTS level, McKnight believes increased university support will be necessary for Brock to compete.
“If we want to succeed at that level, we will have to have more funding from the school,” she said.
The potential growth of women’s flag football also presents an opportunity for Brock to invest further in a sport that is becoming popular across Canada. For the athletes currently playing, the issue is not simply about preparing for a potential future in U SPORTS. It is about having the resources to compete and improve today.
The team’s search for sponsorships is less about promoting individual businesses and more about filling a financial gap that currently exists for the program. As women’s flag football continues to expand, the team hopes its growth can eventually translate into greater institutional support.
“The growth of women’s flag football creates a really exciting opportunity for Brock to continue investing in the sport and the athletes representing the school,” McKnight said.
As the sport continues to grow, the team is now preparing to bring another season of competition. The upcoming season will give the team another opportunity to compete while continuing to navigate the financial challenges that come with being a club team. For the athletes, the hope is that the continued growth of women’s flag football in Canada can eventually lead to greater support and resources from Brock.
The Badgers’ first tournament is set for Oct. 4 with a location to be determined.
For future updates and more information on the team, checkout the teams Instagram @brockwfootball and Brock University Athletics website.