49ers host inaugural adult flag tournament in Morgan Hill

The San Francisco 49ers took another step in flag football’s expansion when 49ers Flag presented by Vista hosted its first-ever adult tournament at Morgan Hill Sports Complex on July 11. Sixteen adult teams from across Northern California entered the event, and a new champion was crowned by the end of the day.

The tournament marked a clear extension of the 49ers’ flag platform, which the team has long framed around younger players. The 49ers Flag program is designed for girls and boys ages 5-17, with an emphasis on physical activity, continuous play and football fundamentals in a safe, inclusive setting. By adding an adult bracket, the franchise moved beyond the youth pipeline and into a full-lifecycle model that can keep players in the game after school years end.

Morgan Hill has already become a regular stop in that effort. On March 22, the 49ers hosted an NFL FLAG Regional Tournament in the city, and Visit Morgan Hill listed the event as the 49ers NFL Youth Flag Tourney at Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center, 16500 Condit Road, Morgan Hill, CA 95037. The adult tournament returned the franchise to the same area, but with a different audience and a wider competitive base.

The 49ers have also built out girls flag programming in recent years. 49ers PREP staged a first-ever Girls Flag Football Jamboree on Aug. 26, 2022, followed by a second-annual Girls Flag Football Skills Camp on Aug. 17, 2023. In 2024, the program added a Salinas Girls Flag Football Skills Camp on Aug. 3 and a Morgan Hill Girls Flag Football Skills Camp on the same date, reinforcing that flag has become a recurring part of the organization’s calendar rather than a one-off clinic.

The adult tournament fits a broader football landscape that is giving flag a bigger stage. In San Francisco, the 2026 Pro Bowl Games flag football matchup ended with the NFC beating the AFC 66-52 on Feb. 3 at Levi’s Stadium, another sign that the format is now woven into the NFL’s showcase moments. For the 49ers, the Morgan Hill event showed that the sport’s appeal does not stop with kids or high school players. It is now being built for adults too, with a competitive structure that can support local leagues, weekend play and a longer-term fan base.