2026 NAIA Women's Flag Football Invitational Field Announced

The 2026 NAIA Women's Flag Football Invitational field has been announced. The eight-team field will play a double-elimination tournament at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, to determine the NAIA's first Invitational champion in women's flag football. The games will take place starting on Thursday, May 7, culminating with the championship day on Saturday, May 9. Warner (FL) is the top seed after going undefeated during the regular season and winning the Sun tournament. The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and Sun Conference both had three teams selected for the tournament. The eight teams are listed below.

Undefeated Warner (FL) headlines the field. The Royals have won every game by at least double digits, which includes two wins over perennial NAIA power Keiser (FL) since Saturday, April 11. Kathryn Hutchinson leads the high-powered offense and has no shortage of high-powered weapons at her disposal, including Avalon Lux-Offermann, Jessica Finley, and O'Mariah Gordon.

While Warner has been the best team this season, Ottawa (KS) is the five-time defending champion of NAIA women's flag football when the NAIA classified it as an emerging sport. The Braves won their sixth consecutive KCAC title to claim the second seed. Anna Anderson will lead the offense in the quest to keep the remainder of the NAIA away from the crown. It will be the final games for Liz and Katie Sowers at Ottawa before they depart to take over the Nebraska flag football program.

Keiser (FL) has only three losses this year: two against Warner and one to Ottawa. The Seahawks have been to two consecutive NAIA championship games and three in five years. Keiser will have Ava Wallace throwing to deep threats Dakota Moberg and Tremesha Harris. US national team star Ashlea Klam will be a threat in the red zone on offense and a ball hawk on defense.

Hope International (CA) claimed the Great Southwest Athletic Conference title in its inaugural season for the school and conference. The two losses for HIU came at the hands of Warner (66-0) and Webber International (38-0). The Royals posted an early-season win on the road against fellow Invitational team St. Thomas (FL), 36-35.

Baker (KS) has three losses this season, and two of them came against #2 Ottawa. The other one was a midseason stumble against Midland (NE). Baker nearly pulled the upset of Ottawa in the KCAC title game, but lost 26-20 after surrendering a late score. Both losses to Ottawa were by six points, as the March contest was a 12-6 final. Tara Llorente, Sanija Waller, and Kaley Phillips pose serious problems for the opposing defenses.

Kansas Wesleyan enters the tournament as an at-large team from the KCAC. KWU has three losses to Baker (2) and Ottawa (1). The Coyotes also upset Ottawa 21-20 on the road in a March non-conference game. The offense revolves around quarterback Chihiro Itwata, who has thrown for nearly 3700 yards and 52 touchdowns this season.

St. Thomas (FL) was the last at-large selection and one of three teams from the Sun. The Bobcats have lost four of the last six games entering the tournament, but three of those were against #1 Warner (1) and #3 Keiser (2).

Saint Francis (IN) won the NAIA's East tournament to claim the fourth AQ spot in the tournament. The Cougars are in their first season and crushed previously undefeated Milligan (TN) 32-7 in the championship game. Jianna Reyes has been fantastic this season, throwing for over 3,200 yards and 34 touchdowns. She also has 521 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.

The double-elimination tournament will kick off on Thursday, May 7, at 8 AM ET with Warner's contest. The games will continue throughout the day and on Friday, May 8, until there are two teams remaining. The championship game is scheduled for 10 AM ET on Saturday, May 9. If the one-loss team wins that matchup, a rematch will occur at 2 PM ET on Saturday. The full bracket can be found here.