 BUAFL logo | |
| Sport | American football |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Divisions | 4 with a total of 15 conferences |
| No. of teams | 79 (2024–25 season) |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Most recent champion(s) | UWE Bullets[1] |
The British Universities American Football League (BUAFL) is an American football league contested by university teams in the United Kingdom as part of the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) organisation. The league was formed by the British American Football Association (BAFA), the national governing body of American football in the UK, in 2007 as the successor to the British Collegiate American Football League, after BAFA withdrew its recognition of the British Student American Football Association which ran that league.[2][3] The BUAFL has been credited with reviving interest in American football in the UK.[4]
From 2008, the BUAFL was officially associated with the National Football League (NFL), through its partner organisation NFL UK.[5] In 2012, BUAFL's league and teams were absorbed into BUCS after American football became an official BUCS sport.[6] Over the period 2007 to 2014, the BUAFL grew from 42 teams and 2,460 participants to 75 teams and over 4,100 people involved.[7] It has remained at a similar size since, with 79 teams from 77 institutions and over 4,000 students involved in the 2024–25 season.[8]
As of 2024,[update] BUCS American football is entirely full-contact, but The Times has reported that a flag football competition is planned for the 2025–26 season.[9]
- ^ "BUCS American Football 23–24 National Championship". BUCS.
- ^ "BSAFA Operations Suspended". British American Football Association. 25 July 2007. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
- ^ "BAFA Launches BUAFL". British American Football Association. 25 July 2007. Archived from the original on 24 July 2008. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
- ^ Ben Halls (30 September 2016). "Riding the Second Wave: The Resurrection of the NFL in the UK". VICE Sports. Archived from the original on 30 October 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
As any wannabe dictator will tell you, revolution simply cannot happen without grassroots action. That is it true in sport, too. For American football, that movement came not from the NFL itself, but was home-grown at British universities.
- ^ "NFL announces partnership with BUAFL". 12 November 2008. Archived from the original on 8 January 2011.
- ^ "American Football - British Universities & Colleges Sport". Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2013.
- ^ Zander Swinburne (1 February 2014). "Super Bowl 2014: Move over, Wayne Rooney – gridiron's here". The Independent.
The British Universities American Football League (BUAFL) had 42 teams before the first Wembley game in 2007 and 2,460 participants; now 75 universities are registered, with more than 4,100 players, coaches and officials
- ^ "BUCS and Football America Sign Three Year Partnership". BUCS. 30 September 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
BUCS' American Football programme in 2024-2025 will see 79 teams from 77 institutions take part, with more than 4,000 students playing the sport.
- ^ Lara Wildenberg (13 August 2024). "Taylor Swift fuels flag football fever at UK universities". The Times.