Women football fans take over as one of the NFL’s biggest fan groups

From cheering on their favorite team in the stands to wearing their team colors, women football fans are ready to take over from the men.

Football Sunday used to be men’s day. Sitting in front of the television or tailgating with their buddies, football Sunday was the typical guy hangout. That old school notion is being smashed. Women football fans are taking their rightful place in the football fan groups.

According to a recent Ticketmaster NFL fan survey, detailed in a press release, women football fans are making their voices heard. As one of the biggest NFL fan groups, “women are more likely than men to go see their team play in person even with a losing record late in the season.” For these women fans, the supporting the team is more important than the final standings.

Looking at the survey data, the female fan is about the experience. From a game day girls’ trip to cheering the loudest in the stands, everything is about the experience. A girls’ game out is the fun event that many women want. Forget the spa day or relaxing at the beach, more women are donning their jerseys and routing for their favorite NFL team

Having a girls’ game out is a bigger bonding experience. Of course, the girlfriends have an enjoyable time. More importantly, the women become invested in the team. Just being in the stands and cheering makes that football fandom bond stronger. They are there because they want to be, not because some guy dragged them along.

While the survey findings are intriguing, do the findings have merit? While at this week’s NFL Pro Bowl AFC and NFC practices, the women fans were out in force. Wearing their favorite team gear, these football fans were cheering more loudly than the male counterparts.

Women of all ages lined the fields of both the AFC and NFC teams. Some moms even brought their daughters to the event. After practice, these women were in the front seeking autographs and wanting to interact with the players.

Even more telling, these female fans were knowledgeable. Beyond having a favorite player, these women know football. From understanding the difference between a slant route and an end run, they can hold any football conversation with the best of them.

Seeing this increase in female fandom, the NFL is taking notice. The Women’s Summit during the Super Bowl has grown over the past couple of years. During Pro Bowl week in Orlando, the NFL hosts NFL Women’s Careers in Football Forum. This particular forum features panels and discussions that prepare women for careers in football operations.

Looking around at NFL staff, more women are on the front lines. While coaching positions might still be predominantly male, women reporters, support staff and operational staff have a large presence. Speaking to a NFL Pro Bowl volunteer who also works for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, she said that she is treated as a total equal in her job. In her experience, she feels that she has the same growth and development opportunities as any other employee.

Additionally, these women aren’t marginalized. True, women want to have a women’s cut shirt or team influenced jewelry. But their roles aren’t just the pretty sideline cheerleaders. Not to take away from the cheerleaders, but fans and women with careers in the NFL have earned respect because of their knowledge, support and love of the game. Sure, a woman wants to look good, but her brain can do even more.

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As this NFL season comes to a close, don’t be surprised if the girls are getting together to throw a Super Bowl watching party. Even if their favorite team isn’t in the big game, they might be cheering the loudest for each tackle, pass and touchdown. Sure, the women football fans might still ask you to be quiet during the Justin Timberlake halftime show, but they also will tell you why Brady’s injured hand won’t be a factor in the fourth quarter.