The powder puff game. A tradition that goes back to the 1940s is coming to BYU-Idaho. A powder puff game is a football game where women play as football players, and men who would typically be on the football team act as the team’s cheerleaders. It will be an exhibition match that rivals the competitive championship on campus.
Neal Patching, a student sports events coordinator with Campus Recreation, says a lot of preparation went into the planning of this event. They took the top 30 women who tried out for the football coaches to create the teams. There will be a hype squad, cheerleaders and other volunteers.
Patching says the BYU-Idaho Bookstore is making shirts for the teams, and the event will start with a student singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” He says there’ll even be a live band performing.
Patching says the goal of putting on a powder puff game at BYU-Idaho is to give women a chance to play football in a championship-level atmosphere.
“A lot of them just love football,” Patching says, “and they’ve never really had the chance to play in a championship or even just competitive football game atmosphere.”
Patching says attendees can expect a good time from the event.
“Expect what you see at high school games and at the competitive football games here on campus. It’s just going to be big. It’s going to be loud. Hopefully people bring their school spirit,” Patching said.
Patching says students can expect to see talent out on the field.
“If you go to any of our women’s flag football games, it’s basically an all-star game. Just the best girls you see out there, they’re all coming together,” Patching said.
The MVP of the game will win a pair of AirPods from Campus Recreation, and the winning team will receive championship T-shirts.
The game will take place at the BYU-Idaho Stadium Saturday morning at 10, and entry is free.