TMRW Sports Adds Decades of Sports Industry Experience with Laura Andriani, Alyssa Marks, Thomas McHardy & Steve Worling
ORLANDO, Fla. (Oct. 2, 2026) – TMRW Sports announced the addition of four experienced executives, Laura Andriani, Alyssa Marks, Thomas McHardy and Steve Worling, to the leadership team for the new professional flag football league being developed in partnership with the National Football League (NFL). The announcement was made by Brendan Donohue, president, flag football, TMRW Sports.
“Flag football is experiencing incredible global momentum, and we’re building a professional league that reflects a modern approach to the sport with expertise across a wide spectrum of disciplines, including marketing, partnerships, operations and technology,” said Donohue. “Laura, Alyssa, Thomas and Steve are exceptional and accomplished executives who will be catalysts in bringing a professional flag football league to life. They all believe in creating a world-class platform for these elite women’s and men’s flag football athletes and an experience that will create lifelong fans.”
Laura Andriani, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Flag Football: Andriani is a sports marketing leader with more than 15 years of experience building brands, growing audiences and developing strategic partnerships across sports media, technology and sports rightsholders. At TMRW Sports, she will lead marketing, digital, social and communications for its upcoming professional flag football league, driving brand and audience growth. Previously, she was senior vice president of consulting at sports marketing agency Two Circles, leading strategy and marketing for clients including Premier League, FIFA, Tennis Channel and Amazon Prime Sports. She also led audience development at DAZN and spent more than seven years at ESPN, managing international digital marketing.
Alyssa Marks, Vice President, Partnerships, Flag Football: At TMRW Sports, Marks will be a growth leader in commercial partnerships group for its upcoming professional flag football league, with a focus on revenue growth and brand relationships. Previously, she was senior director of global business development and partnerships at the LPGA, where she drove revenue growth and helped grow a partner portfolio that included UKG, Ford, BDO and Sage. Before joining the LPGA, she spent more than ten years at the NBA, including serving as the partnership lead for the NBA 2K League. She began her NBA career in team marketing and business operations, helping develop revenue-generating initiatives across the league.
Thomas McHardy, Vice President, Strategy and Development, Flag Football: McHardy is a sports business executive with experience across league operations, team business strategy and international sports development. At TMRW Sports, he is shaping the growth, structure and long-term strategy of the company’s professional flag football division. Over the past three years, he served as vice president of team marketing and business operations, working with TGL’s teams to support brand development, revenue growth and operational strategy. Before joining TMRW Sports, McHardy spent four years with the NFL, focused on international growth, club business development and strategic initiatives.
Steve Worling, Vice President, Technology, Flag Football: Worling brings more than 30 years of experience leading technology strategy, digital transformation and large-scale operations across the sports and hospitality industries. At TMRW Sports, he oversees competition, venue and core infrastructure technology for the upcoming professional flag football league. Previously, he served as senior director of information technology infrastructure, cybersecurity and shipboard technology operations at Virgin Voyages. Before that, he spent 17 years at NASCAR, rising to managing director of information technology, where he led technology strategy and innovation across corporate and race operations, including winning a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for NASCAR’s remote broadcast production.
TMRW Sports and the NFL are launching the professional flag football league for women and men prior to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Fans will experience the league’s fast-paced, elite-level competition and tech-forward presentation from the first purpose-built stadium for flag football. Ultimately, professional flag football aims to deliver data-driven storytelling and technology that immerses audiences in the sport’s speed, agility and athleticism. Adding this pro-level tier will play an important role within flag football’s broader global pathway, capping an expanding youth, high school, collegiate, international and Olympic ecosystem with the opportunity to compete professionally for women and men.
The league has support from a broad and influential investor pool, including all 32 NFL club owners, established institutional and strategic investors, and current and former NFL players, reflecting confidence in the sport’s long-term growth potential and increasing global relevance.
More than 20 million people currently play flag football around the world, with participation continuing to increase across all levels. Approximately 4.1 million youth play the sport in the U.S. alone – more than a 50% increase since 2020. Flag football is now offered in high school in 40 states, with the number of young women playing on their high school teams increasing by nearly 60% from 2024 to 2025. In addition, more than 250 colleges and universities across the country now offer women’s flag football programming. The NCAA recently approved flag football as part of the Emerging Sports for Women program and voted at its spring meeting to recommend that Divisions I, II and III add a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship as early as spring 2028.