ACCC Moving to Spring Schedule, Marietta Adding Varsity Team, 2 New Clubs Forming
The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) will move its flag football season to the spring beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The ACCC announced the news on social media.
The change will coincide with the introduction of the NJCAA Women's Flag Football Championship. In June, the NJCAA announced that flag football would become a championship sport beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The final invitational will be held at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, in spring 2027.
The ACCC has competed during the fall for its first two seasons. In 2025, seven schools competed: Bishop State, Calhoun, Lurleen B. Wallace, Northwest Shoals, Shelton State, Snead State, and Wallace State. Wallace State captured the inaugural title, going a perfect 20-0, including a 27-6 win in the ACCC Championship game.
Joining those 7 schools for the 2026 fall season were Chattahoochee Valley, Enterprise State, and Southern Union. Those 10 teams are competing this fall, with the conference tournament scheduled for Saturday, November 14, and Sunday, November 15. The ACCC mentioned that its 11 schools would compete in spring 2028, with the remaining member likely referring to Central Alabama.
Cal State Northridge, Tennessee Looking to Add Club Team
Two more NCAA Division I club teams are looking to launch soon at California State University Northridge and the University of Tennessee. Both will be student-run club teams. Tennessee is currently gauging interest among students on campus in Knoxville.
Northridge would be the 8th team from the NCAA Division I Big West Conference to add a women's flag football program. Cal Poly SLO is the only varsity program, while Cal Baptist, Long Beach State, Sacramento State, UC San Diego, and UC Santa Barbara also have club teams. Sacramento State will add a varsity team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year giving the Big West two varsity programs.
Should a club team begin competing at Tennessee, the Volunteers would be one of seven club teams in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference (SEC). Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma, and South Carolina are expected to compete in the 2026-27 academic year. All six of those teams are slated to compete in NIRSA's Women's Flag Football Club League.
Nearly 100 NCAA Division I club teams will compete during the 2026-27 academic year. 88 of those schools will compete in NIRSA's Women's Flag Football Club League during the spring 2027 season from January through April. NIRSA is planning to release the full schedule during the week of November 15.
Marietta Adding Varsity Program
Marietta College (OH) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school will start the search for a head coach immediately. Joe Bergin, Director of Athletics at Marietta, stated:
"We are excited for the creation of our Flag Football program. The sport is on the rise, and I am happy that the administration has given us the go ahead to start the program. It is going to be fun to see where this sport goes."
Marietta is the fifth team from the NCAA Division III Ohio Athletic Conference to add a varsity women's flag football team. Heidelberg University (OH) began competing in the 2025-26 academic year, while Baldwin Wallace University (OH) and the University of Mount Union (OH) are expected to compete in the 2026-27 academic year. Marietta will join Capital University (OH) as a new program in 2027-28.
PCCFFL to Launch in Spring 2027
The Pennsylvania Community College Flag Football League (PCCFFL) will launch in the 2027 spring season. No teams have been confirmed yet, but the newly formed league is expected to announce a full list of participating club and varsity programs in the coming weeks.