Ole Miss Flag Football Team Earns National Championship Title

While Oxford, Mississippi, is a focal point of the college football world this weekend with a high-stakes matchup between Ole Miss and LSU, the university also boasts a reigning national champion in flag football. The Ole Miss Special Olympics College Flag Football Club captured a gold medal and the national championship in Minneapolis over the summer.

This achievement makes the flag football Rebels the most decorated football team on campus, surpassing the achievements of other university football programs.

The flag football team, a unified club, is composed of Ole Miss students who serve as partners and local individuals with intellectual disabilities who are the athletes. The game is played five-on-five, with a constant ratio of three athletes to two partners on the field. Despite the absence of tackling, the sport involves playbooks, touchdowns, running, passing, and competitive play.

Hunter Crabbs, the intramural sports and sports clubs coordinator at Ole Miss and a coach for the gold medal team, described the process as similar to the main football team's, albeit with a simpler playbook. The team earned its spot in the Special Olympics by defeating a team from Mississippi State. In Minneapolis, they overcame early losses to rally and secure the intercollegiate gold medal in flag football, marking a first for Mississippi.

During the championship game against Iowa, a team that had previously defeated Ole Miss, a key player sustained a serious injury with the score close. However, the Rebels rallied for an emotional victory, met with enthusiastic cheers of "Hotty Toddy" from their supporters.

"We were so excited, we were all jumping around," said Madison Dennis, a 27-year-old athlete who plays defense and is the team's only female player. "We honestly couldn’t believe it. It was awesome to bring home gold back to Ole Miss."

The experience provided more than just a championship. Players reported increased confidence, self-esteem, and the formation of new friendships. "There’s a couple of our athletes who, going into this trip, I would have said they’re probably going to be maybe a little shy, maybe not want to interact with other teams," said Ole Miss senior Jason Skocy, a center for the team. "I was completely wrong. They were out there, making friends, staying up, playing Xbox in the lobby. It was cool to see."

Beyond the competition, the team visited the Mall of America, toured Minneapolis, and attended a baseball game, in addition to participating in activities at the Olympic Village.

Dennis highlighted the personal growth aspect, stating, "And the partners, I like having them there to help us. That’s a pretty cool thing."

The national championship team returns all its players for the upcoming season. A key event on their schedule is the annual Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State, which Skocy noted is highly anticipated, potentially rivaling the significance of their gold medal victory.

In the interim, the flag football champions are supporting the Ole Miss football team in its upcoming game against LSU. Last weekend, the football team honored the flag football players during a home game against Charlotte. Crabbs noted the enthusiastic reception the flag football team received, stating, "Our players, they’ve definitely become mini celebrities."