Report: Patriots 1st NFL team to sponsor Gay Bowl flag football event

The New England Patriots will break new ground in the relationship between football and the LGBTQ community next fall.

The Patriots will sponsor The Gay Bowl next October, Boston's LGBT Flag Football group announced at its award banquet, according to Cyd Zeigler of Outsports. This will be the first time an NFL team has sponsored the event, which will be held in Boston from Oct. 5-8.

The Gay Bowl is an annual national championship tournament for LGBT flag football teams that started in 2002. Approximately 40 teams compete in three separate divisions for their individual championships.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft attended the Boston flag football league's annual scholarship dinner honoring local LGBT high school athlete Chris Morse. The Patriots sent Hall of Fame linebacker Andre Tippett to officiate the tournament's ceremonial coin flip in 2003, the last time the event was held in Boston.