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The National Football League (NFL) will host its ninth annual NFL Women’s Forum, presented by Amazon Web Services (AWS), on February 26 in Indianapolis during the 2025 NFL Combine. The event, part of the league’s ongoing commitment to inclusion, will connect 40 women with professional football leaders, providing career insights and networking opportunities in scouting, data & analytics, coaching, and football operations.
Since its launch in 2017, the Forum has helped 310 women gain opportunities in football, with over 250 roles emerging across various levels of the sport. Twenty-nine NFL teams have hired past Forum participants, and in the 2024-25 season, the league had a record 15 full-time female coaches, the most of any men’s professional sports league globally.
Throughout its history, the Forum has produced several groundbreaking hires, including Heather Marini, the first female positional coach in college football; Salli Clavelle, the NFL’s first Black female scout; and Jennifer King, the first Black female coach in the league. Additionally, Autumn Lockwood became the first female Super Bowl-winning coach, and Isabel Diaz is one of the few Latina coaches in the NFL.
“The NFL Women’s Forum has paved the way for women to access opportunities across the league,” said Jonathan Beane, NFL Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. “As the NFL advances the game in all areas, we recognize the importance of creating unique opportunities for all.”
As the presenting sponsor, AWS will lead a roundtable with NFL executives, offering participants an introduction to data-driven decision-making in football, covering areas such as scouting, player personnel, coaching, and player health and safety. The NFL has collaborated with AWS since 2017 to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) into the game, and the Forum will continue to emphasize the importance of analytics in football operations.
For the second consecutive year, the Buddy Teevens Forward Progress Award will be presented during the Forum, honoring the late Dartmouth College head coach Buddy Teevens, a key advocate for women in football. The NFL, in collaboration with Women Leaders in Sports, has also developed a specialized curriculum for this year’s participants.
The 2025 Forum will be held in person, featuring panel discussions and roundtable sessions with NFL executives, coaches, and representatives from all 32 teams. For the first time, 12 female NFL scouts will participate in a panel discussion moderated by ESPN analyst Mina Kimes, sharing their experiences and insights on the future of women in football.
Additionally, Super Bowl LIX champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, will participate in a discussion moderated by NFL Network’s Kimmi Chex, highlighting the importance of diversity in successful organizations.
The 2025 NFL Women’s Forum will take place on Wednesday, February 26, in Indianapolis, IN, featuring a series of discussions with key figures in professional football. The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. EST with a welcome session presented by Amazon Web Services (AWS). At 10:45 a.m., ESPN football analyst Mina Kimes will moderate Blazing the Scouting Trail, a discussion featuring 12 NFL scouts from teams including the Panthers, Texans, Lions, Chiefs, Browns, Vikings, Buccaneers, Broncos, Bills, and Colts. This panel will provide insights into their experiences and the evolving role of women in scouting and football operations.
At 11:35 a.m., NFL Network talent Kimmi Chex will moderate Super Bowl LIX Leaders: Advancing the Ball, a discussion with Philadelphia Eagles executives and coaches, including General Manager Howie Roseman and Head Coach Nick Sirianni, highlighting the role of diversity in building championship teams. The event will conclude at 12:15 p.m. with the Buddy Teevens Forward Progress Award Presentation, honoring the late Dartmouth College head coach for his contributions to advancing women’s inclusion in football.
