Butler Area School Board has approved the launch of a girls flag football team, beginning with the spring 2027 season.

The Butler Golden Tornado are expected to join the ranks of the growing WPIAL flag football scene.

The Butler Area School District board unanimously approved a proposal during a meeting Monday, June 1, and athletic director Bill Mylan confirmed the team will debut in March 2027.

“I think upper administration and myself, we felt like this is another opportunity for female athletes,” Mylan said.

The board agenda included estimated total costs of $18,353.15, including $7,496.92 for the head coach, $4,376.23 for an assistant coach and $6,480 for supplies, officials and transportation.

Mylan said there are parallels between the launch of the flag team and how girls wrestling started several years ago, except for the fact there were already several girls on the boys junior high wrestling team before the Tornado launched a full varsity girls program.

He said some community members and parents reached out about starting a flag football team. When the school sent out a survey this year to see if enough girls would be interested to field a team, the response was “overwhelming.”

“We had enough that we felt we can field a team based on the results of the survey,” Mylan said. “We’ll probably at some point offer a clinic (or try-it camp).”

He said he has already talked with the WPIAL about being added to the growing flag football league that already includes Mars, North Catholic and Seneca Valley.

He said next steps are to advertise for a head coaching position and he hopes to have someone in the position by August.

Flag football was a club sport supported primarily in and around Philadelphia and Pittsburgh by NFL teams for several years until the PIAA approved it as a sanctioned sport in time to start the 2026 season.

The WPIAL held its first official district championship in May, with Shaler beating Plum 34-0. The first PIAA state championship will be held in 2027.