Binghamton to Add Varsity Women's Flag Football

Binghamton University (NY) is adding a varsity women's flag football team and is set to begin competition in the 2027-28 academic year. Binghamton is the third school from the NCAA Division I America East Conference to add flag football. The University at Albany (NY) and the University of Vermont both offer club teams.

There are at least 16 NCAA Division I programs that currently compete at the varsity level or plan to do so in the coming years. Earlier this week, Gardner-Webb University (NC) announced it would add a varsity team, although a definitive timeline was not provided. The other 14 include Alabama State University, Cal Poly (CA), Charleston Southern University (SC), Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ), Long Island University (NY), Manhattan University (NY), Mercyhurst University (PA), Mount St. Mary's University (MD), Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Nebraska, the University of North Alabama, the University of North Carolina at Asheville, the University of South Carolina Upstate, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Binghamton indicated it will likely join the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). The ECAC has steadily grown since announcing it would sponsor flag football in December. If Binghamton joins the ECAC, that would give the conference 20 teams by the start of the 2028 spring season. That number is likely to grow beyond 20 as more Northeast schools add the sport.

For the 2026 spring season, Allegheny College (PA), Eastern University (PA), Franciscan University (OH), Kean University (NJ), Long Island University (NY), Marymount University (VA), Mercy University (NY), Mercyhurst University (PA), Montclair State University (NJ), Mount St. Mary's University (MD), Penn State Schuylkill (PA), Sacred Heart University (CT), Saint Joseph's University (PA), and Wagner (NY) will take part in the inaugural ECAC season.

For spring 2027, Caldwell University (NJ), Dominican University New York, Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ), Sweet Briar College (VA), and Union College (NY) will compete in the ECAC, bringing the league to 19 teams. Binghamton would be the 20th team in 2028, if there are no further additions.

Flag football is seeing continued growth after the NCAA added it to the Emerging Sports for Women program in January, especially at the D-I level. More than 50 NCAA schools across all three levels will launch varsity flag football teams in the next few years. That number is on top of the more than 60 varsity programs and 100 club teams offered by NCAA schools in the current 2025-26 academic year.