2026 NJCAA Women's Flag Football Invitational Field Set
The 2026 NJCAA Women's Flag Football Invitational has been confirmed. Six junior colleges will meet at the College of DuPage's Bjarne Ullsvik Stadium in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, to determine the 2026 champion. The games will take place starting on Thursday, May 7, concluding with the championship on Saturday, May 9.
Pool 1 will comprise Bryant & Stratton College (WI), Florida Gateway College, and Harford Community College (MD), while Pool 2 will have the hosts, College of DuPage, Daytona State College (FL), and Roxbury Community College (MA). Each pool will have a round robin of games on Thursday, May 7, to determine the seeding for the six-team bracket. Games will start at 9 AM Central Time, with the final game slated for a 5 PM kickoff.
| Pool 1 | Pool 2 |
|---|---|
| Bryant & Stratton College (WI) | College of DuPage (IL) |
| Florida Gateway College | Daytona State College (FL) |
| Harford Community College (MD) | Roxbury Community College (MA) |
The pool play matchups will determine the bracket seeding, with five bracket games set for Friday, May 8. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be played starting at 10 AM Central, followed by one of the two consolation games at 4 PM Central. Championship Day will be Saturday, May 9, and will begin with the second consolation game at 10 AM Central. The Invitational Championship is scheduled to start at 12 PM Central Time. All games will be streamed by the College of DuPage on its Hudl page.
Florida Gateway has been the dominant team in the NJCAA, having won each of the three championships from 2023 through 2025. The Timberwolves defeated Hesston College (KS) in both 2023 and 2024. The latter season showcased a best-of-three championship series. Last season, FGC defeated fellow FCSAA conference member Daytona State 68-13 in an overwhelming performance. Florida Gateway led 54-0 at halftime, led by London Jenkins' three interceptions returned for a touchdown.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Final Score | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Florida Gateway | Daytona State (FL) | 68-13 | Riverside, MO |
| 2024 | Florida Gateway | Hesston (KS) | 26-13, 45-6 | Atlanta, GA |
| 2023 | Florida Gateway | Hesston (KS) | 20-0 | Atlanta, GA |
The 2026 NJCAA Women's Flag Football Invitational could be a rematch of the 2025 final. FGC defeated Daytona State 7-0 in the FCSAA Championship, with a late touchdown pass from Katelyn Jewell to Layla West. Both schools are in separate pools, but they'll both have to take care of their opponents before a rematch.
Florida Gateway enters the Invitational with a 15-1 overall record. The Timberwolves posted a dominant 27-7 victory over five-time NAIA champions Ottawa University (KS) at the end of February. The lone blemish came against the NAIA's Life University (GA) in early March by a score of 25-19. Since then, FGC has surrendered just 14 points in 9 games.
Bryant & Stratton played an abbreviated spring schedule against schools in Illinois and Wisconsin. The Bobcats went 6-2 overall, with the two losses coming against NCAA Division III Aurora University (IL). Five of the six wins came against NCAA D-III teams, while the other win was against fellow NJCAA invitational competitor, College of DuPage.
Rounding out Pool 1 is Harford Community College. The Fighting Owls went 5-6 overall in their first season, starting 0-4 before notching a 52-0 win over Manor College (PA). Harford split four games in the NCFFL's Pennsylvania Regional, which features club and varsity teams from the NCAA, NJCAA, and USCAA. Harford posted a pair of shutout victories (47-0 and 45-0) over Harrisburg Area Community College (PA) to end the regular season.
Daytona State headlines Pool 2. The Falcons went 10-8 overall in their first season in 2025, but improved upon that this spring. DSC enters the NJCAA Invitational 9-4 overall, with three of those losses coming against Florida Gateway. The fourth loss was to the University of Central Florida, which won the inaugural Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic in mid-April.
The hosts, College of DuPage, are also in Pool 2. The Chaparrals played their first season this spring, going 4-8 overall during the regular season. The Chaps started the season 1-5, but found success in April, winning three of the first four games, including a pair of wins over NCAA D-III programs Benedictine University (IL) and Illinois Wesleyan University.
The final team in Pool 2 is Roxbury Community College. The Tigers are 2-6 overall this season and are also playing in their first campaign. The first program win came against the University of Albany (NY) at the end of March, and notched the second win two weeks later versus Howard Community College (MD).