CEDAR CITY, Utah (June 9, 2025) - Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games 7-on-7 Football, presented by the Las Vegas Raiders, kicked off pool play on Monday, June 9. The new event, in addition to next week's girls' flag football tournament, will bring a new breed of athletes to fields across the Southern Utah University campus and Cedar City.
The 7-on-7 tournament pulled together 21 teams from three states, comprising a total of 425 athletes and coaches in on the action. Tomorrow, June 9, the tournament will come to a head in a single elimination bracket based on the results of pool play. Eccles Coliseum will host the freshman and junior varsity championships at noon and the varsity championship at 12:30 p.m.
Presenting a less physical, yet highly technical form of football, 7-on-7 is played on a 50-yard field that includes 10 yards of endzone. Teams can score offensively with a touchdown, one-point conversion or two-point conversion and defensively with an interception. "Tackles" are made according to one-hand-touch rules.
Although the Games have included a variety of team sports since their inception in 1986, the 2025 program year marks the first time any type of football has landed on the schedule.
"The addition of football to the Larry H. Miller Utah Summer Games made sense on a variety of levels. Football is more than a uniquely American sport; it is infused in the makeup of our cultural identity," USG Executive Director Jon Oglesby stated. "It makes sense for us to enter the market of providing high-quality football opportunities for youth in Utah and surrounding areas."
By teaming up with a member of the National Football League, USG gained a bridge into this market and a partner that shares in the culture and goals of the Games.
"The Las Vegas Raiders have long been committed to growing opportunities for all people through the game of football," Oglesby explained. "Our commitment and our will is complimentary to each other, and we are grateful for their support."
On top of the Raiders serving as 7-on-7's presenting sponsor, the SUU football staff partnered with USG to bring the tournament to life. SUU Football players and coaches officiated the games and SUU Assistant Coach and Director of Football Operations Ryan Hunt took the lead as the sport coordinator for both boys 7-on-7 and girls flag.
"This is our first year, and I think that honestly, it's just going to grow by word of mouth," Hunt shared. "Our goal this year was to get it kicked off and be highly organized so that people could spread the word and say, 'Hey it was organized, it was fun and there was a good atmosphere.'"
The 7-on-7 tournament presents an exciting option for the football community in which players can avoid offseason injuries while honing their skills and competing for gold. Hunt hopes that after its successful first year, football will stick around in USG programming for years to come.
"Today it's about 84 degrees out there. I think it's a perfect day for football in the summer," Hunt said. "We've got a really good place to showcase it with our campus and we're excited to see how this thing can grow in the future."
Up Next
Tomorrow's bracket, which will pit teams against each other on a path to the gold medal, will be open to public admission in the Eccles Coliseum.
Football fans can return to Eccles once more from June 16-17 for the USG Girls Flag Football Tournament. Registration for the competition will remain open until Tuesday, June 10, at midnight.
Teams and individuals interested in registering for flag football or any other sport can sign up at utahsummergames.org.
