By: Amirah Razman
Over 60+ female athletes. 27 seasons. 4 conference titles, and 5 division titles.
The Minnesota Vixen have come a long way since the “No Limits Barnstorming Tour,” a tour that saw the Vixen traveling the country alongside the Lake Michigan Minx followed by stints in 3 women’s football leagues before joining the Women’s Football Alliance in 2017.
Although they have yet to win a WFA championship, the Vixen still has multiple conference and division titles under their belt. This season will be their 27th season as an organization and their 6th in the WFA.
It takes a lot of practice and dedication in order for the team to be successful, and players do just that while also maintaining full-time jobs and other life commitments outside of football.
“[The Vixen] is another family,” veteran defensive back Caitlin Hill said. “We face a lot of adversity, whether that’s financially, travel adversity [like] cars breaking down. You grow together as teammates, coaches, staff because it’s like you get to face that adversity and challenge together.”
Among one of Hill’s favorite memories of being a player for the Vixen is meeting her partner, linebacker Ace Theissen, through playing on the team together. For Hill, making connections with her teammates was really valuable.
“Obviously, we’re not getting paid the big bucks to play the sport, so you get to learn about a lot of different people and backgrounds and how they found the sport,” Hill said.
Longtime fans of the Vixen know their journey being a prominent face in the history of women’s football, but if you’re just starting out, there’s a lot you probably need to catch up on.
Women’s tackle football in the Twin Cities started as a way to put more investment into women’s sports, and with the sport being popular in the 1970s, they wanted to see if they could recreate that success, according to Vixen OL coach Michele Braun, who has been with the team from its early beginnings.
“We had almost 400 women trying out for 80 spots [on the team],” Braun said. “It was shocking to a lot of people in general to see women being physically capable to play a sport that was dominated by men and that they can play it very well.”
Braun’s favorite part about coaching women’s football is the opportunities that the sport has given to women.
“We have called so many courageous women in our organization over the years who have said ‘you know what, I want to try that, I want to do it,’” Braun said. “We’ll go out and do girls’ football clinics or other community outreach, and it’s been so fun to see the eyes of these little girls get big. Some of them are grade school age or pre-teens and they go ‘oh my god, I caught that.’”
Being a part of the Minnesota Vixen means defying traditional stereotypes around football by teaching women and girls that football is for everyone.
“It’s been fun breaking these gender roles down and really changing people’s perspectives and perceptions and say ‘you know what, it’s okay, you can do that,’” Braun said.
You probably have questions about the team. We have answers. Let’s dive into them:
When does the season start?
The 2025 WFA season is scheduled to begin April 26, with the championship game scheduled in July.
How many players are currently on the Vixen roster?
There are 72 players on the roster this year. Out of the 72 players, 19 are rookies and 5 are international players.
How did these athletes end up at the Vixen?
Through an open tryout process, many Vixen athletes come from multiple walks of life – some have families, while others have served in the military, worked at other places, and came from other countries. Most players come from a variety of different sports backgrounds, such as rugby, crossfit, softball, hockey, basketball, soccer and flag football.
What do the Vixen do outside of football?
Many Vixen players hold full-time jobs, have families of their own, and have other life commitments outside of training. The organization hosts many camps and clinics in the community for girls and women who are interested in playing football and have collaborated with healthcare providers in the past.
Is this a flag football team?
No. The Minnesota Vixen is a tackle football team that is part of the Women’s Football Alliance, a women’s tackle football league. The Vixen follows NCAA football rules, which consist of the traditional 11-on-11 tackle football-style format.
Where do the Vixen play?
The Vixen play in many stadiums across the Twin Cities area, ranging from local high school fields to sports complexes. Their home stadium changes every year and is announced before the start of the season.
How can people watch Vixen games?
Fans can purchase tickets to all matchups online through the Vixen website. Vixen games are also streamed live on various platforms, check out the streaming page for more information on how to watch.