• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
MPWRooney Rule

Here’s How the NFL Plans to Hire More Female Execs

By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Valentina Zarya
Valentina Zarya
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 4, 2016, 3:50 PM ET
Officials In NYC Hold News Conference On Counterfeit Super Bowl Merchandise
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 30: Anastasia Danias, Vice President for Legal Affairs, National Football League speaks at a news conference on the latest seizure of counterfeit sports-related merchandise leading up to Super Bowl XLVIII on January 30, 2014 in New York City. Officials from the National Football League, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection displayed recently confiscated items while also showing phony websites that have been set-up to sell Super Bowl XLVIII merchandise. Counterfeit sports merchandise, much of which originates in China, is a multi million dollar industry. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)Photograph by Spencer Platt—Getty Images

The NFL is committing to hire more women.

Speaking at the NFL Women’s Summit on Thursday morning, commissioner Roger Goodell said that the league will expand its Rooney Rule requirements to include female executives, according to NBC.

“We have something called the Rooney Rule which requires us to make sure when we have an opening at the team level or the league level that we are going to interview a diverse slate of candidates,” Goodell said. At least one woman will be considered in the slate of candidates for every open executive position at the league, he added.

Sign up: Click her to subscribe to the Broadsheet, Fortune’s daily newsletter on the world’s most powerful women.

The original Rooney Rule was implemented in 2003 in the NFL by Pittsburg Steelers chairman Dan Rooney. In his version of the rule, Rooney mandated that every team with an opening for a head coach position interview at least one minority candidate for the role. Four years later, the rule was expanded to include general managers, and in this latest iteration, has been expanded to the executive level.

Interestingly, the Rooney Rule has also spread far beyond football. In the last year or so, it’s been particularly popular among tech companies trying to diversity their workforces.

The NFL already has a few women at the executive level, including the league’s CMO Dawn Hudson, CIO Michelle McKenna-Doyle, and chief litigation officer Anastasia Danias.

Women are also becoming a bigger presence on the field. Just last month, the Buffalo Bills hired Kathryn Smith to be the first full-time female assistant in the NFL. Meanwhile, Sarah Thomas, the league’s first full-time female line judge, is currently officiating her first season.

About the Author
By Valentina Zarya
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

takaichi
Arts & EntertainmentJapan
Japan’s Prime Minister welcomes Deep Purple, capping 50-year love affair with heavy metal: ‘You’re my god’
By Mari Yamaguchi and The Associated PressApril 10, 2026
17 hours ago
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
SuccessThe Promotion Playbook
Eva Longoria secretly worked as a headhunter from her soap opera dressing room for three years—because she refused to be a ‘struggling actor’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleApril 10, 2026
1 day ago
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gaining and losing power
C-SuiteFortune 500 Power Moves
Fortune 500 Power Moves: Which executives are gaining and losing power
By Fortune EditorsApril 3, 2026
8 days ago
The short, uneasy tenure of Pam Bondi
NewslettersMPW Daily
The short, uneasy tenure of Pam Bondi
By Emma HinchliffeApril 3, 2026
8 days ago
Olympic champion Eileen Gu’s advice for women seeking her heights of career success: Don’t be a small fish in a big pond, ‘Create your own pond’
MPWMost Powerful Women
Olympic champion Eileen Gu’s advice for women seeking her heights of career success: Don’t be a small fish in a big pond, ‘Create your own pond’
By Emma HinchliffeMarch 31, 2026
11 days ago
Can Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In take on tradwives and the manosphere?
NewslettersMPW Daily
Can Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In take on tradwives and the manosphere?
By Emma HinchliffeMarch 27, 2026
15 days ago

Most Popular

Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
Success
Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
18 hours ago
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Innovation
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
1 day ago
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
Politics
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
12 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.