NFL announces Serena Williams and Caitlin Clark as speakers at league meetings

Serena Williams and Caitlin Clark are set to bring their star power to the NFL’s annual league meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, this week. The two legends will take part in a panel discussion on Sunday night, hosted by Mellody Hobson, part-owner of the Denver Broncos. They’ll be joined by Eli Manning, with the conversation centered around the rapid rise of women’s sports and the NFL’s increasing role in its development.The league has made it clear that women’s flag football is a major priority, especially with the sport set to debut in the 2028 Olympics. With more women stepping into key roles across the NFL and its teams, the panel is expected to highlight the importance of continued investment in female athletes.Jeff Miller, the NFL’s executive vice president, emphasized that the league values insight from two of the biggest names in sports history.“The NFL is certainly interested in learning from the experience of some of the greatest athletes who have ever lived,” Miller said. “Certainly, Serena Williams fits that description, and Caitlin Clark’s engagement with college basketball and the WNBA, as well as Mellody Hobson, who is part-owner of the Broncos and invests in sports, including women’s sports. The owners, the clubs, are interested in learning more.”As the NFL pushes for growth in flag football, the league views it as both an Olympic opportunity and a way to expand its global reach. Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations, called the sport a priority.“This is really about the momentum over the last few years,” Vincent said.Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all time with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, has long had a connection to the NFL. In 2009, she and her sister Venus became the first African American women to hold ownership stakes in an NFL team when they invested in the Miami Dolphins.Clark, the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history, is fresh off a Rookie of the Year season with the Indiana Fever. She has previously expressed interest in NBA ownership.Also Read: Florida’s Desmond Watson wows scouts with incredible Pro Day performanceWith more women taking on leadership roles in the NFL, Vincent sees this as another step toward progress.“We just want to continue that conversation amongst the membership,” he said.