The Music City Mizfits: Nashville’s Women’s Football Powerhouse

Greatness Awaits

In the heart of Music City, where rhythm meets resilience, the Music City Mizfits are rewriting the playbook for Nashville women’s football. After a season full of grit, growth, and undeniable heart, Nashville’s own women’s tackle football team has officially secured a spot in the 2025 Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) Playoffs—a testament to their exceptional skill and determination on the field.

The team proved they’re a powerhouse in the Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) Division III, taking down the East Tennessee Valkyrie 20–6, marking their second victory over the same opponent and pushing their record to an impressive 4-1. This isn’t just about wins and losses; it’s about excellence in execution, strategic gameplay, and the kind of heart that can’t be taught.

The Mizfits roster reads like a diverse tapestry of Nashville’s finest. The roster is composed of women from age 18 up to their mid-40s, including moms, nurses, active military members and veterans, doctors and youth football coaches. These women bring professional excellence from their day jobs to the gridiron, creating a team culture built on discipline, dedication, and mutual respect.

Why This Team is Proven

Since our founding in 2016, the Music City Mizfits have consistently demonstrated competitive excellence in the Women’s Football Alliance, the longest-running and most competitive women’s tackle football league in the world. The league championship game is broadcast during the summer on ESPN 2, and there are Game of the Week broadcasts on the Women’s Sports Network, providing national visibility for teams that earn their place in the spotlight.

The team’s playoff qualification for 2025 isn’t a fluke—it’s the result of years of steady growth and increasingly competitive play. Despite being relative newcomers, they’ve quickly built a reputation for tenacity, establishing themselves as serious contenders in Division II competition.

Their proven track record extends beyond the scoreboard. The Mizfits have demonstrated organizational stability and growth, expanding their operations year after year. The team has recently begun its own Name Image and Likeness program to pay players, positioning themselves at the forefront of compensation equity in women’s sports—a groundbreaking initiative that few teams in women’s tackle football have achieved.

The numbers speak volumes: consistent roster development, increasing community support, and partnerships with major brands and organizations. Current WFA sponsors/partners include Secret deodorant, Xenith football helmets, Wilson football, the NFL Alumni Academy, the NFL Hall of Fame, KT Tape, Fathead, AdeNation sports drink, and Coors Light beer, demonstrating the league’s—and by extension the Mizfits’—legitimacy within the broader football ecosystem.

Leaders On the Field and In Nashville

Trust is built through transparency, consistency, and genuine commitment—qualities the Music City Mizfits embody at every level. Under the ownership of Donita Hines since 2016, the organization has maintained steady leadership and a clear vision for the future of Nashville women’s football.

Head coach and owner Donita Hines is a former football player herself, bringing authentic experience and understanding to her role. She’s played football since 2005 with the Nashville Dream, covering every position on the football field, including kicker and punter, and has played with other great teams including Clarksville Foxx, Nashville SmasHers, Southern Valkyrie, Atlanta Heartbreakers, and Derby City Dynamite. This isn’t someone who stumbled into women’s football—this is a leader who has lived it, breathed it, and dedicated nearly two decades to advancing the sport.

The team’s commitment to player welfare is evident in their fee structure and support systems. While the first-year player fee is $350, the organization has implemented multiple programs to offset costs and support athletes financially. The organization has already done some of the impossible by paying their players based on performance during games, beginning in 2021 with the opportunity to win money for each game if you were the MVP on either offense or defense. They also award cash prizes for MVP of the year, Rookie of the Year, Linewoman of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year—tangible recognition that players’ contributions matter.

Furthermore, select players will also get paid directly by sponsors for brand marketing through the Mizfits Pride Name, Image and Likeness(NIL) initiative, creating unprecedented earning opportunities for women who play tackle football. This financial transparency and commitment to player compensation sets the Mizfits apart as an organization that truly values its athletes.

The team’s trustworthiness extends to their community engagement. They host youth clinics to encourage girls in sports and partner with local nonprofits like Girls Inc. of Middle Tennessee. In 2022, they organized a charity game benefiting domestic violence survivors, raising over $10,000. These aren’t publicity stunts—they’re consistent, meaningful contributions to the Nashville community that demonstrate the team’s values extend far beyond the field.

Reputation Matters

The Music City Mizfits have earned their stripes through consistent media recognition, professional partnerships, and community visibility that few women’s sports teams achieve. Their reputation isn’t built on hype—it’s built on documented excellence and legitimate accomplishments.

Local media outlets have regularly featured the team, including coverage from City Lifestyle, Nashville Voyager, The Tennessean, and News Channel 5, among others. “This is the opportunity we’ve worked all season for,” said Mizfits head coach Donita Hines in a recent News Channel 5 interview about their playoff push, demonstrating the team’s accessibility to and relationship with credible local journalism.

The team’s affiliation with the Women’s Football Alliance provides substantial credibility. The Women’s Football Alliance (WFA) is the longest-running, & most competitive women’s tackle football league in the world, and membership in this organization places the Mizfits among the elite programs in women’s tackle football.

Perhaps most impressively, the team has secured partnerships with Nashville’s professional sports franchises. Current local partners include the Tennessee Titans, Restore Hyper Wellness- Smyrna, Cafe Coco’s, Drillzball and others. The Tennessee Titans connection is particularly significant—the Mizfits have held scrimmages and exhibition games at Nissan Stadium, the home of the NFL franchise, lending enormous credibility and visibility to the program.

The team’s reputation for authenticity in women’s sports is also noteworthy. When Hines and her players tell people they play football, they often assume they mean in a lingerie league, where women in full faces of makeup and little-to-no clothing play an abbreviated version of football. But Hines and her players are quick to correct their doubters, emphasizing that they play full-contact, regulation tackle football identical to the men’s game. This commitment to the authentic sport—rather than a glamorized version—has earned them respect among serious football communities.

Rock and Roll With Us On Our Journey

Whether you’re considering strapping on pads yourself or looking for an inspiring team to support from the stands, the Music City Mizfits offer something special that transcends typical sports fandom.

For Aspiring Players

The barriers to entry are intentionally low. Women aged 18 and older are welcome, regardless of experience level. If you’ve never played before, we’ll teach you the sport. If you have experience and you’re not sure if you’re able to keep up, come out anyway! There is no age limit (except being over 18) and no skill requirement to play. This inclusive approach means the team values potential and heart over pedigree.

The financial investment is reasonable, especially considering the support systems in place. The first-year player fee of $350 provides access to coaching, equipment, league play, and the opportunity to compete at a high level. More importantly, players immediately become eligible for performance bonuses, MVP awards with cash prizes, and potential NIL deals with local sponsors—opportunities virtually unheard of in women’s tackle football just a few years ago.

Players join a true family environment. The team spends a lot of time together, in football and away from the field, with an open-door policy where any member can talk to coaches about anything they need. This supportive culture helps women from diverse backgrounds—whether they’re nurses working night shifts, military veterans, teachers, or mothers—balance the demands of competitive football with their other responsibilities.

For Fans

Following the Mizfits means supporting something bigger than sports—it’s about being part of a movement that’s changing perceptions and creating opportunities. Women’s football is “catching fire” both in Nashville and across the country, and the Mizfits are at the forefront of this cultural shift.

The quality of play is genuinely elite. These aren’t developmental scrimmages—they’re hard-hitting, strategic, competitive games featuring athletes who train seriously and compete fiercely. They are competitive, they can go out there and get big hits and make good plays, throw those 40-yard passes and have all these highlights. If you love football—real football—you’ll love watching the Mizfits play.

The team actively engages with fans through multiple channels. They maintain active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter), sharing game updates, player stories, and community events. Fans can actually participate in the coach’s podcast, the signing party will be opened up to the public and media, and the team gives sideline access to games, creating intimate connections between supporters and players that professional sports rarely offer.

Supporting the Mizfits also means supporting Nashville. The team represents the city with pride, embodying the same creative, resilient, independent spirit that makes Music City special. Their playoff push and growing success put Nashville on the map in the Women’s Football Alliance, demonstrating that this city champions excellence in all its forms—not just in music, but in sports that have traditionally excluded women.

Join the Movement

The Music City Mizfits are more than a football team—they’re proof that women belong on the gridiron, that Nashville supports champions in every arena, and that the future of football includes everyone who has the heart to play.

“It’s not a hoax. It’s not for show. Women play football, and women are going to keep playing football,” Hines said. “People are just gonna have to get used to it, because it’s not going anywhere.”

Whether you’re ready to join the roster or cheer from the stands, now is the time to become part of the Music City Mizfits family. Visit musiccitymizfits.com to learn more about tryouts, game schedules, and how you can support Nashville women’s football as it makes history, one game at a time.

The Women’s Football Alliance championship awaits. The journey continues. And the Mizfits are just getting started.