American football in Uganda is set for a significant expansion following the launch of the U.S. Exchange Alumni Gridiron Super Bowl 2026–2027, an initiative designed to use sport as a vehicle for youth leadership, mentorship and empowerment.
Launched on October 27 at the American Center Kampala, the year-long programme brings together university students and U.S. exchange alumni, with plans to establish a structured competition spanning five regions of Uganda and culminating in a Grand Finale in July 2027.
The initiative is supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Alumni Engagement Innovation Fund and implemented under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), with the American Football Federation of Uganda serving as a technical consultant and implementation partner.
U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Mikael Cleverley presided over the launch, which was attended by exchange alumni, partners and representatives of the YALI Regional Leadership Center East Africa Nairobi Alumni Chapter of Uganda.
Miss Tourism Uganda also participated, highlighting the programme’s potential to unite young people, promote Ugandan culture and stimulate economic opportunities.
For the American Football Federation, the partnership presents an opportunity to widen the sport’s reach by leveraging a network of more than 6,000 U.S. exchange alumni across the country.
Federation officials described the initiative as a major milestone, expressing appreciation to the U.S. Embassy for its support and optimism that the competition could become an annual fixture on Uganda’s sporting calendar.
Beyond competition, the programme seeks to equip young people with leadership skills, strengthen teamwork and create opportunities for mentorship and career development.
Ten teams targeted across five regions
The inaugural programme is expected to feature ten teams drawn from five regions: West Nile, Northern, Central, Eastern and Western Uganda.
Each region will be represented by a university team and an alumni cluster team, creating a platform for interaction between university students and U.S. exchange programme alumni.
Player selection is scheduled for November and December 2026, ahead of the commencement of formal training in January 2027.
The organisers expect the regional structure to provide a foundation for sustained participation while introducing American football to new communities and institutions.
The participating institutions include Makerere University, Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Muni University, Lira University, Aga Khan University Uganda, UC University and Kampala International University (KIU).
The Federation president Steven George Okenge also hopes to expand university participation from five institutions in the current edition to nine in the next, strengthening the competition’s national footprint.
“This is a major milestone for the Federation. Through the partnership, we can reach more than 6,000 U.S. exchange alumni and use that network to spread American football across the country,” a Federation presidentStevenGeorgeOkenge.
The representative added that the organisers hoped the Super Bowl would become an annual event, with more universities joining in subsequent editions.
The Federation has clarified that its role is primarily technical, with the project operating under YALI and programme funding channelled through the initiative.
Okenge said the Federation would provide the expertise required to implement the project, expressing confidence that the arrangement would contribute to the long-term development of American football in Uganda.
“At least 70 per cent of the funding has already been remitted, with the balance expected in January.
We are ready to implement the programme and believe it will support the growth of American football in Uganda,” the official said.
The funding arrangement is expected to support implementation of the year-long activities, including player selection, training and regional engagement.
With preparations scheduled to intensify in the coming months, the Gridiron Super Bowl represents an effort to move American football beyond isolated participation and establish a more organised pathway for university athletes and alumni.
Its long-term impact will depend on effective regional coordination, sustained institutional support and the ability to attract additional universities and participants.
For the organisers, however, the ambition is clear: to build a recurring national platform that combines sport, leadership development and alumni engagement while giving American football a stronger foothold in Uganda.
