2026 NAIA Invitational and Women's College Flag Finals Dates Set
The 2026 NAIA flag football Inviational and the Women's College Football Finals are set for a new location in 2026. IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, will host two separate tournaments from Wednesday, May 6, through Saturday, May 9. According to a copy of the format obtained by Collegiate Flag Football, one tournament will be the NAIA Invitational and the second will be a separate 20-team tournament for NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA schools. The four-day event schedule will be:
- Wednesday, May 6: Team check-in, practice sessions, and opening ceremonies
- Thursday, May 7: Tournament play
- Friday, May 8: Tournament Play
- Saturday, May 9: Semifinal and Championship games
The NAIA Invitational will be the first event since the governing body elevated flag football to invitational status. The 2026 tournament will feature 8 teams competing in a double-elimination format. Four of the 8 teams will be automatic qualifiers, while the remaining four spots will be given to at-large selections determined by the NAIA Women's Flag Football National Selection Committee. The 8-team selection breakdown is as follows:
- One (1) team from the Great Southwest Athletic Conference
- One (1) team from the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
- One (1) team from the Sun Conference
- One (1) team from the group of the Appalachian Athletic Conference, Crossroads League, Mid-South Conference, and Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference
- Four (4) at-large selections determined by the NAIA's Selection Committee
In 2025, the NAIA held its flag football championship outside Kansas City in Riverside, Missouri. 14-teams competed in pool play, followed by two separate single elimination brackets. The championship bracket was comprised of 8 teams, while the "B" bracket had 6 teams. From 2021 through 2024, the event was hosted in Atlanta, Georgia, by the NFL's Atlanta Falcons in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Ottawa University (KS) has won all five NAIA championships to date.
The NAIA tournament will be held concurrently with Women's College Flag Finals, which will be hosted by RCX Sports at IMG Academy. The Women's College Flag Finals will see 20 teams compete in a single championship bracket for teams across the NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA. The allotment of teams has the following breakdown:
- Seven (7) teams from the NAIA (non-invitational teams)
- Seven (7) teams from the NCAA
- Six (6) teams from the NJCAA
NAIA teams can sign up for the Women's College Flag Finals, but if the team is selected for the 8-team NAIA Inviational, they will be removed from consideration for the 20-team tournament. The qualification procedures and selection process for the 20-team tournament will be provided at a later date. Teams were able to begin registering for the Women's College Flag Finals on Thursday, February 26. NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA schools interested in potentially competing at the 2026 College Flag Finals can sign up via Ryzer.