Football Is For The Girls This Year—Here's Everything You Need To Know To Get Invested

For years, female football fans were perceived as pick-me girls, but we’re finally past those days. You can be a feminine girlie who loves dressing up and watching football, and thanks to Taylor Swift, we can finally celebrate it. In her 2023 Time Person Of The Year Interview, Taylor Swift said, “Football is awesome, it turns out. I’ve been missing out my whole life.” 

Many women are excited to enter their football era, but it can be intimidating for anyone new to the sport. Here’s everything you need to know about football season, from the most basic rules to how to curate a cute gameday outfit.

Evie's product selections are curated by the editorial team. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.

The ABCs of Football

Football may be a little overwhelming for a newbie, as the rules aren’t as simple as basketball, hockey, or soccer, but learning some basics will make watching the game much more enjoyable.

The object of the game is simply to get the ball into the other team’s end zone. One team is on offense, trying to get the ball to the other team’s end zone, while the other team is in defensive mode and trying to prevent them. The offensive team has four attempts (known as “downs”) to move the ball forward 10 yards. If they get 10 (or more) yards, the number of downs resets and they have the chance to keep going. 

Points are scored with either a touchdown (when a player on the offensive team carries the ball into the end zone or throws the ball to a teammate in the end zone), which is worth six points, or a field goal, which is kicking the ball into the goalpost from a distance and is worth three points. After the touchdown, the team can add an extra point by kicking a field goal or an extra two points by trying to run or throw the ball into the end zone again. 

However, if an offense doesn’t make it 10 yards within four attempts/downs, then the other team gets the ball. 

If you don’t have a lot of time to learn the basics, check out the TikTok account for Travis and Jason Kelce’s podcast, New Heights. Back when Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce started dating, they devoted their “No Dumb Questions” segment to answer questions from Swifties who wanted to learn about the sport. Even if you’re already a football fan, the TikToks are worth the watch simply because they’re funny and wholesome.

The NFL vs College Football 

There are two types of football people are watching: professional football via the National Football League (NFL) and College Football via multiple conferences within the collegiate system. It can be difficult for football newbies to differentiate between the two, but here’s the rundown.

The NFL is a professional league with 32 teams across the country divided into two conferences, the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Every year, each conference hosts a playoff tournament, and the top team from each conference competes in the championship game, the Super Bowl. According to CBS Sports, the teams predicted to have the strongest seasons this year are the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers. Last year’s Super Bowl champions were the Kansas City Chiefs, who won their second championship in a row. All eyes will be on them to see if they can get three championships in a row, something no team has done before.

College football is a little more confusing than the NFL. While there are dozens of conferences of teams, the most prominent are the South Eastern Conference (SEC), Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, and Big 12 Conference. Some popular teams like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish aren’t a part of any conference, but the vast majority of popular teams are a part of one of these four conferences.

The SEC is home to 16 teams throughout the South (where college football is more popular than NFL football) and is arguably the most popular conference and is the home of four of the last five National Championship teams. Some of their most popular teams (who are coincidentally predicted to perform the best this year) are the Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Longhorns, and Alabama Crimson Tide. 

The ACC used to comprise mainly Southern and Midwestern teams, but now has 16 teams from all over the country. While they aren’t expected to perform as well as SEC and Big Ten teams, some of their teams who are both popular and expected to perform well are the Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, and Miami Hurricanes.

The Big Ten Conference initially represented 10 teams from the Midwest, but now features 18 teams from all over the country. One of their most popular teams, the Michigan Wolverines, had a perfect season (which means they never lost a game) and won the National Championship. While they aren’t expected to repeat that perfection this year, they’re expected to do well alongside other popular teams like the Ohio State Buckeyes, Oregon Ducks, and Penn State Nittany Lions.

The Big 12 is arguably the least popular of the four main conferences, but teams like the Utah Utes, Kansas State Wildcats, and Oklahoma State Cowboys are expected to do well. Some of their more popular teams that aren’t expected to perform as well are the TCU Horned Frogs and Colorado Buffaloes.

Football and Pop Culture

It’s no secret that football is the biggest sport in America. Its stars receive A-list celebrity treatment in the media and pop culture (just think of Tom Brady), and when fall hits, the NFL and College Football take over every media institution. Even if you hate football, it’s nearly impossible to ignore.

In recent years, the sport has learned to gear more toward women, and one aspect of that is the wives and girlfriends of football players, also known as WAGs. For years, Gisele Bundchen was the most famous WAG in the world because she was a super model who was also married to Tom Brady, and there seemed to be a void left behind when they got divorced and he retired. Sure, we still had Ciara and Russell Wilson, but things changed when Taylor Swift started dating Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce in 2023.

Love her or hate her, their relationship not only increased the number of women watching football but led to a massive spike in Kansas City Chiefs tickets and Travis Kelce jersey sales. It also brought the WAG back in the spotlight similar to when Gisele was married to Tom Brady, with the media focusing on celebrities dating or married to NFL players like Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey, Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen, Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios, and Simone Biles and Jonathan Owens. Women like Kylie Kelce and Brittany Mahomes may not have been famous to start, but they’ve received celebrity treatment for both their husbands’ football careers and their proximity to Taylor Swift.

Taylor Swift and celebrity couples aside, influencer Allison Kuch has also bridged the gap between football and pop culture. With 3.2 million followers on TikTok, she documents her life with her husband, defensive end (he’s currently a free agent, which means he’s not signed to any team but can be, and he’s not retired) Isaac Rochell, and their relationship is hilarious, genuine, and relatable. There’s also fashion designer Kristin Juszczyk, wife of San Francisco 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk, whose custom clothing went viral after Taylor Swift wore a jacket made by her to a game earlier this year. 

When it comes to college football, the pop culture impact is strong, but not as strong as the NFL’s. Movies like Rudy have made Notre Dame Football a pop culture staple, but other teams have gotten the celebrity treatment. SEC football is a staple in country music, as country singers like Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, and Thomas Rhett are die-hard Georgia Bulldogs fans, while Morgan Wallen is such a big fan of the Tennessee Volunteers that he wrote the song “Tennessee Fan” in 2022. When it comes to actors, both Glen Powell and Matthew McConaughey are huge Texas Longhorns fans, often making appearances at games.

Game Day Outfit Ideas

As the number of women watching football continues to grow, the fashion industry is starting to catch on. Popular brands like Abercrombie have partnered with the NFL to make stylish gear for women, and brands like Wear by Erin Andrews and Gameday Couture have tapped into the market of female football fans.

Here are five tips for dressing for game day.

SEC Football Is a Fashion Show

If you’re into #BamaRushTok, you already know that SEC girlies are all about dressing to the nines, and this doesn’t change for football games. If you go to a college football game at an SEC school, it’s smart to dress the part. A lot of women wear sundresses or babydoll dresses of the team colors paired with cowboy boots or heels, and gameday accessories.

Remember Your Team Colors

If you’re going to a watch party but don’t own any officially licensed fan gear, you can still support the team by wearing their colors. This gives you plenty of room to be creative with your outfit choices, and you can always look to iconic WAGs like Taylor Swift, Brittany Mahomes, and Simone Biles for inspo.

Wear a Cute Jersey

While there’s a 100% chance that you’ll look cute rocking your boyfriend’s or husband’s jersey, jerseys designed for the girls are way more fun. Brands have made a conscious effort in recent years to make feminine and flattering jerseys for women. Some are jersey dresses, some have sequins, and some are sporty yet practical.

Dress for the Weather

Football season starts at the tail end of summer and ends in the middle of winter, leaving fans to experience any type of weather imaginable for games. For late summer games (especially in Southern states), dress lightly to beat the heat and stay hydrated. Save the cute sweater with team colors for a cooler game, you won’t regret it.

Fall games are the sweet spot where you can show off cute outfits without a coat, but that doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice fashion for warmth. If you want to fully commit, some brands sell puffer jackets as officially licensed merch, but a scarf and hat of the team colors (or officially licensed merch) work just as well to keep you stylish and warm.

Don’t Forget Your Clear Bag

Most football stadiums require fans to have clear bags for safety reasons, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring. Invest in a clear bag with your team’s logo or colors. If you’re a DIY girlie, make a craft night out of it and bedazzle a plain, clear bag with rhinestones in your team colors to show off some team spirit.

As football season begins, you might be tempted to tune in for the first time. While it may seem overwhelming at first, you’ll quickly learn that football isn’t nearly as complicated as you once thought and that it’s fun to be a part of something bigger than the latest Netflix show. From pop culture to fashion, football is officially for the girls now, and it’s time to embrace it.