The girls' flag football is one step closer to be an officially sanctioned sport in Texas.

On Monday, the University Interscholastic League voted to launch a pilot program for the 2028-29 school year.

Flag football was an immediate success when it launched last school year in Pasadena ISD.

The South Houston High School team made the state championship in its debut year and, in August, played at halftime during a preseason Texans game.

The team, like others in the Houston area, is currently funded by the Houston Texans.

Questions remain about how schools would maintain teams without that funding.

"There's a lot of costs associated with it when you talk about teams and uniforms and officials and putting the games, something that we haven't experienced before because the Texans have been funding and sponsoring us," Pasadena ISD athletic director Patrick Longstreet said.

The UIL also hasn't decided which days and seasons flag football will be played.

"Obviously, in the fall we have tackle football, so are we gonna try to fit in flag when we're playing tackle?" said Longstreet.

The UIL said flag football would be limited to two classifications during the pilot program but hasn't specified what those classifications will be.

More information is expected at future UIL meetings.