Minnesota Vixen bring home first national title in team history
Minnesota Vixen crowned women’s football champs
The Minnesota Vixen won their first national title on Saturday, marking the first championship for the nation’s oldest women’s professional tackle football team.
(FOX 9) - A Minnesota football team finally broke through for a championship win, and it was the women of the Minnesota Vixen who made history.
Minnesota Vixen win first national title
What we know:
The Minnesota Vixen, the country’s oldest continuously running women’s professional tackle football team, won their first Women’s Football Alliance Pro National Championship on Saturday, beating the Pittsburgh Passion 42-14 in Canton, Ohio, in a game televised on ESPN 2.
Quarterback Erin Kelley, who has played for the Vixen for five years, said, "I mean it's just so awesome."
Kelley described the moment as surreal, adding, "Still kind of mindblown, still kind sitting in it, living on cloud nine."
The Vixen had previously lost four championship games, sharing the same record as the Minnesota Vikings in league finals.
"It's just been a long time coming with I obviously specifically our team but everybody who's came our way from 1999 until now and just building that up and I think we're just honored to do that," said Kelley.
The Vixen defense forced five turnovers, including two interceptions by linebacker Paige Condie on the same drive. Condie ran one back 50 yards for a touchdown, helping secure the win and bringing a pro football championship to Minnesota.
Kelley was named the game’s most valuable player, but she credited the broader community, saying, "everybody is building each other up and Minnesota themselves are coming together to support that as well, which. Is unmatched, I think. I haven't seen it from any other state."
'This team from the jump hasn't ever looked back'
The backstory:
The Vixen were founded in 1999 and are recognized as the oldest continuously running women’s professional tackle football team in the United States.
Before this weekend, the team had lost four championship games, a record matching the Minnesota Vikings’ own struggles in league finals.
Kelley reflected on the team’s journey and the significance of the win, saying, "I love that the women did it. I mean that's just a testament to our hard work. And I mean I'm rooting for the Vikings, but hopefully maybe someday."
The Vixen’s win was a milestone not just for the team but for women’s professional sports in Minnesota, highlighting the growth of support and recognition for female athletes in the state.
'I say anything men can do, women can do'
What's next:
Kelley said the team will celebrate with a banquet later this week and is already looking ahead to a possible repeat championship next year.