California, Georgia Tech, LBSU, and UCLA Add Flag Football Club Teams
Three NCAA Division I schools have added women's flag football club teams, while a fourth has added a coed team. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), the University of California, Berkeley (Cal), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) added women's club programs and will compete in spring 2026. California State University, Long Beach (Long Beach State) added a coed club team.
Cal and Georgia Tech are the seventh and eighth members of the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to add a club team. Clemson University (SC), Duke University (NC), Florida State University, North Carolina State University, the University of Pittsburgh (PA), and the University of Virginia also sponsor club teams. Those six club teams competed during the 2025 fall semester.
UCLA is the fourth school from the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference to add a club team. Penn State University, Rutgers University (NJ), and the University of Maryland have club programs. The University of Michigan and the University of Southern California are also in the process of adding flag football club teams and intend to compete next semester.
Long Beach State is the second Big West Conference school to add a club or varsity team. The first was Cal Poly, which will play a club schedule in the 2026 spring season and the 2026-27 academic year. The Big West will be at three in the 2026-27 academic year when California Baptist University joins the conference. The recently founded Long Beach State club will have men's and women's flag football club teams.
Over 50 NCAA Division I schools have club teams. Cal, Georgia Tech, Long Beach State, and UCLA will join Bowling Green State University (OH), Cal Poly (CA), Eastern Kentucky University, Iona University (NY), Jacksonville University (FL), Radford University (VA), Rutgers University (NJ), Sacred Heart University (CT), the University of Colorado, and the University of Montana as new club teams in spring 2026.
Although far less common, varsity programs are present in NCAA D-I. In spring 2026, Alabama State University, Long Island University (NY), Mercyhurst University (PA), and Mount St. Mary's University (MD) will compete. Joining them in 2026-27 will be Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ), Mississippi Valley State University, the University of North Alabama, and the University of Texas at Arlington. Cal Poly will become a varsity program in the 2027-28 academic year.
All three NCAA divisions have recommended that flag football be added to the Emerging Sports for Women Program, with a vote expected at the NCAA's convention in January 2026. The NFL is expected to announce new professional flag leagues and flag football will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.