Alabama, LSU, Miami, Miles, and Utah Among 11 New Women's Flag Football Club Teams
11 schools will add club programs for the 2026-27 academic year, most of which will be student-run club teams. Seven of those are NCAA Division I schools that will add student-run club teams and begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year. Two are full members of the Southeastern Conference: Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama.
The SEC has five student-run women's flag football club teams, including Alabama and LSU. The University of Florida and the University of Georgia both competed in the 2026 Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic in April. The University of Oklahoma also has a club team. Florida, Georgia, and Oklahoma will compete in NIRSA's Club League for the 2026-27 academic year. The Sooners will also compete in the National Club Football Association (NCFA).
Joining those two will be the University of Miami (FL). Miami is the 11th school from the Atlantic Coast Conference to offer a club team, joining Clemson University (SC), Duke University (NC), Florida State University, Georgia Tech University, North Carolina State University, Syracuse University (NY), University of California, Berkeley, University of Pittsburgh (PA), University of Virginia, and Wake Forest University (NC).
The University of Utah will also be adding a club team for 2026-27. Utah is the fifth school from the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference to add a women's flag football student-run club team. Arizona, Arizona State, Central Florida, and Colorado are the other four. ASU and UCF also competed in the Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic earlier this year.
The Big 12 has reportedly considered sponsoring women's flag football as soon as 2028. The original reporting mentioned at least six teams competing in the first season, but there haven't been any updates since the reporting at the end of March. If the Big 12 begins sponsoring flag football, there's no guarantee any current club teams would become varsity programs.
Canisius, Stetson, and UNC Greensboro Adding Club Teams
The other three NCAA Division I teams adding student-run club programs for the 2026-27 academic year are Canisius University (NY), Stetson University (FL), and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. UNC Greensboro is the first school from the Southern Conference to add a flag football program.
Canisius is the third school from the Metro Conference (formerly the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference or MAAC) to add a flag football program. Mount St. Mary's University (MD) sponsors a varsity team and competes in the NCAA D-II Conference Carolinas and multi-divisional Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Niagara University (NY) offers a club team and will compete in the National Club Football Association (NCFA) for the 2026-27 academic year.
Stetson is the fourth school from the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) to offer women's flag football. The other three are Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, and the University of North Florida. All four schools are club programs.
Club teams are the most popular option in NCAA Division I, and at least 85 are expected to compete during the 2026-27 academic year. The rapid increase has led to not one but two dedicated women's flag football club leagues. The National Club Football Association (NCFA) currently has more than 16 teams lined up for its inaugural season. NIRSA's revamped Women's Flag Football Club League is expected to have more than 60 teams compete in the inaugural campaign.
Maryland, Rutgers Joining NIRSA
Speaking of NIRSA, Rutgers University (NJ) and the University of Maryland will compete in NIRSA's Women's Flag Football Club League for the 2026-27 academic year. Over 50 schools have signed up to compete in the league since the original announcement in May, including five other Big Ten Conference student-run flag football teams: Indiana, Michigan, Penn State, UCLA, and USC.
More details regarding the schedules and end-of-season championship set for April 2027 will be provided at a later date. Teams interested in competing in NIRSA's women's flag football club league can reach out to National Flag Football Manager Nik Sandona via email at nik.sandona@nirsa.org. October 1 is the deadline for club teams to sign up for the league.
Miles Adding Club Team, Possible SIAC Season Details Emerge
Miles College (AL) will add a women's flag football club team beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The school did not provide a conference affiliation, but the athletic teams competed in the NCAA Division II Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
In May, Dr. Anthony Holloman, the SIAC's Commissioner, stated on the HBCU Gameday Podcast that the conference would sponsor women's flag football during the 2026-27 academic year. He mentioned 10 teams were committed to playing a 12-game regular season, with a conference championship.
Miles's press release sheds some light on the first season, although details are subject to change. There will be two "roundups" scheduled, with teams playing five games at each roundup. Miles will host one of the roundups from Friday, March 12, through Sunday, March 14. The SIAC Championship is scheduled to be played at Albany State (GA) from Friday, April 9, through Sunday, April 11.
Three SIAC teams currently offer women's flag football: Edward Waters University (FL), Miles College (AL), and Spring Hill University (AL). It's not known if all three teams will compete in the SIAC during the 2027 spring season.
Bergen, Montana Tech, UW-Whitewater Adding Clubs
Bergen Community College (NJ) will begin sponsoring a women's flag football club team beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The school is hoping to elevate the sport to varsity status in the future. Rey Miller was named the inaugural head coach.
Bergen competes in the NJCAA's Garden State Athletic Conference, which has four flag football programs. The other three are varsity teams that will begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year: Camden County College (NJ), Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland (NJ), and Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester (NJ). Union College of Union County (NJ) is also likely to add a flag football program and recently closed the application for the head coaching position.
Montana Tech will add a club team for the 2026-27 academic year and will begin competing this fall. Montana Tech will face the University of Montana's club team on Saturday, September 26. Montana Tech is a member of the NAIA's Frontier Conference, which is set to have five club or varsity teams by the start of the 2027-28 academic year.
Mayville State University (ND) will start competing as a varsity program in 2026-27, while Bismarck State College (ND), Dickinson State University (ND), and Valley City State University (ND) will compete as intramural teams for 2026-27. The latter three teams will field varsity teams beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The Frontier could begin sponsoring flag football within a few years.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is also adding a student-run women's flag club team. UWW is hoping to schedule games during the 2026-27 academic year. UWW could potentially add a varsity team in the future, as noted in 2025.
Whitewater is the fourth institution from the NCAA Division III Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) to add a women's flag football program. UW-Oshkosh is the only WIAC school to compete at the varsity level. UW-River Falls is expected to compete in NIRSA's Club League during spring 2027, while UW-Stout will compete in the club-oriented Midwest College Women's Flag Football League (MCWFFL).