Meet The Former Tech Executive Using SaaS Strategies To Scale Professional Women’s Football

Key Concepts

• Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC): A 16-team professional women’s tackle football league focused on accelerating financial equity for women and girls through football.
• Bootstrapping: Initial growth funded by internal revenue (apparel, ticket sales) rather than external investment.
• Seed & Series A Funding: Stages of venture capital investment used to scale the league.
• Franchise Model: League structure based on individually owned teams holding equity in a central corporation.
• Got Her Back: WNFC’s charitable entity focused on engaging girls in flag and tackle football.
• Player Safety Protocols: Implementation of NFL-inspired head injury and heart health safety measures.
• Vertical Integration: Controlling multiple stages of the business process, specifically apparel production and sales.

The Women’s National Football Conference: A Deep Dive

I. League Overview & Mission

The Women’s National Football Conference (WNFC) is a 16-team professional women’s tackle football league established with the core mission of accelerating financial equity for women and girls through the power of football. Founder and CEO Odessa Jenkins emphasizes that the WNFC is “the most progressive and aggressive tackle football women’s tackle football entity in the history of sports.” The league aims to move beyond the historical reality of women paying to play, striving to create a profitable business that provides professional compensation for female athletes. Jenkins notes that women have been playing tackle football in the US for 70-80 years, and the WNFC’s goal is to build a sustainable, financially viable league.

II. Origins & Founder’s Journey

Odessa Jenkins’ path to founding the WNFC began with a Division I basketball career at Calpali. She later found her passion in tackle football, playing in amateur leagues and eventually representing the US National Team, achieving three-time captaincy and four-time gold medalist status. A pivotal moment occurred during a 2017 NFL Bill Walsh Diversity Internship with the Atlanta Falcons. Witnessing the potential financial scale of NFL contracts, particularly for running back Devonte Freeman, shifted her perspective on what was financially possible for women in football. This realization led her to halt her NFL aspirations and focus on building the WNFC, leveraging her startup experience from a SAS business poised for a significant exit.

III. Capital Raising & League Structure

The initial phase of the WNFC was characterized by “bootstrapping” – self-funding and generating revenue through apparel sales and ticket revenue. This was a challenging four to five-year period, as no immediate large-scale investment materialized. The league’s first significant investment came from Don Sherman, an investor, philanthropist, and CEO of a pharmaceutical company, who purchased a franchise and led a $1.5 million seed round in late 2024. This round included investment from existing team owners. The WNFC is now preparing for a Series A funding round, targeting a $50 million valuation.

The league operates as an association of ownership teams. Each of the 16 teams is a separate entity owned by individual owners, all of whom hold equity in the central WNFC corporation. The long-term vision is for teams to continue raising equity and increasing their ownership stake in the league, ultimately becoming a team-owned entity. The structure also allows for non-team owners to invest directly in the WNFC or individual teams.

IV. Market Strategy & Franchise Valuation

The WNFC’s market selection strategy prioritizes strong ownership groups over specific geographic locations, drawing lessons from the NWSL and WNBA. The focus is on identifying owners with established business acumen and long-term commitment. Currently, the league has teams in key markets including Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Kansas City, Chicago, New Jersey, Dallas, and Nashville. Franchise valuations currently range from $1 million to $3 million, with the league valuation at $20 million (seed round) and projected to $50 million (Series A).

V. Revenue Streams & Financial Performance

The WNFC’s revenue model is currently diversified. Key revenue streams include:

• National Media Rights: A 5-year deal with Victory Plus, a media company also partnering with the NWSL and League One Volleyball.
• Sponsorships: Partnerships with Adidas, Dove, and Riddell Sports.
• Apparel Sales: Vertically integrated apparel line offering WNFC branded merchandise.
• Playoffs & Championship Game: The championship game is hosted at the Star in Frisco (Dallas Cowboys headquarters) and generates approximately $500,000 in revenue.
• Licensing: Revenue generated from league branding and intellectual property.

Currently, the WNFC is profitable, operating leanly and efficiently. Jenkins anticipates that continued growth, fueled by the Series A funding, will lead to increased profitability within 3-5 years, with revenue streams expected to quadruple annually.

VI. Viewership & Engagement

The WNFC’s viewership is growing. The first national TV debut on ESPN 2 in June 2023 attracted 150,000 households and 20,000 streams. The league anticipates tripling streaming numbers and doubling linear viewership in the following year. Social media engagement is particularly strong, with 100 million engagements on Meta Platforms in the past year.

VII. Player Compensation & Safety

Currently, WNFC players receive compensation through performance-based bonuses and local sponsorships, but are not salaried employees. The Series A funding is intended to enable the league to transition to a regular game day pay structure, mirroring recent developments in other professional sports leagues like basketball and hockey.

Player safety is a high priority. The WNFC has adopted NFL-inspired head injury protocols and partnered with Sway Medical for baseline concussion testing. All coaches and assistant coaches are required to be CPR and first aid certified.

VIII. Flag Football & NFL Relationship

Jenkins views the rising popularity of flag football, particularly its inclusion in the Olympics, as a positive development for the WNFC. The league’s charitable entity, “Got Her Back,” actively engages 20,000 girls in flag and tackle football programs. The NFL has been a supportive partner, providing advice, resources, and partnering with WNFC teams at the grassroots level. Conversations are ongoing regarding collaborative storytelling initiatives.

IX. Future Outlook & Expansion

Jenkins envisions a league of 16-20 teams, prioritizing quality ownership over rapid expansion. She emphasizes the importance of building a sustainable business with infinite growth potential, highlighting the WNFC as a compelling story of bootstrapping and entrepreneurial spirit. The league is not currently utilizing private air travel, relying on commercial airlines for team transportation.

Notable Quote:

“The Women’s National Football Conference is the most progressive and aggressive tackle football women’s tackle football entity in the history of sports.” – Odessa Jenkins.

Technical Terms:

• SAS (Software as a Service): A software distribution model where a third-party provider hosts applications and makes them available to customers over the Internet.
• Seed Round/Series A: Stages of venture capital funding used to finance early-stage companies.
• Vertical Integration: Controlling multiple stages of the supply chain, from production to distribution.
• Bootstrapping: Funding a business through internal revenue rather than external investment.
• Franchise Model: A business model where independent owners operate under a standardized brand and system.