Christian Brothers, Iona, Ithaca, Jamestown, Northern Essex, Saint Anselm, and Tusculum Adding Flag Football

Seven colleges and universities across the NAIA, NCAA, and NJCAA announced varsity women's flag football programs this week. All seven will begin competing in the 2027-28 academic year.

Iona University (NY) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school will also maintain its club team to provide additional flag football opportunities for students. Iona added a women's flag football club team for the 2025-26 academic year. The Gaels will join the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) for the 2027 spring season. Iona is currently one of 29 schools expected to compete in the ECAC next season.

Iona is the third team from the NCAA Division I Metro Conference to add a varsity team, following Manhattan University (NY) and Mount St. Mary's University (MD). Those three teams will compete in the ECAC for the 2027 spring season. Fellow Metro members Canisius University (NY), Niagara University (NY), and Sacred Heart University (CT) offer club teams.

18 NCAA Division I schools have announced varsity women's flag football programs that will compete during the 2026-27 academic year: Alabama State University, Cal Poly (CA), Delaware State University, Eastern Michigan University, Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ), Gardner-Webb University (NC), Long Island University (NY), Manhattan University (NY), Mercyhurst University (PA), Mississippi Valley State University, Mount St. Mary's University (MD), Norfolk State University (VA), North Carolina Central University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the University of Nebraska, the University of North Alabama, the University of South Carolina Upstate, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Beyond the 2027 spring season, additional NCAA D-I programs are adding varsity flag football, albeit with various timelines. Coppin State University (MD), Radford University (VA), Sacramento State (CA), and UNC Asheville will elevate teams from club to varsity status for the 2027-28 academic year. Binghamton University (NY), Charleston Southern University, Iona, and Robert Morris University (PA) will launch varsity teams in 2027-28. Jacksonville University (FL) plans to transition from club to varsity status in the future, but a definitive timeline was not provided.

In total, 27 NCAA Division I schools have already added or plan to add a varsity women's flag football program in the future. Some estimates say there could be at least 70 varsity women's flag football programs competing in D-I during the 2027-28 academic year. Currently, two D-I Conferences sponsor women's flag football. The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will sponsor the sport during the 2026-27 academic year, while the Big South Conference will sponsor it for the 2027-28 academic year.

Women's flag football is currently part of the NCAA's Emerging for Sports Women's program, following a vote at the NCAA Convention in January 2026. The NCAA is overwhelmingly expected to make women's flag football a Championship Sport at the January 2027 convention. Funding for the women's flag football championship has already been approved, with the first championship likely to occur in spring 2028.

Christian Brothers Adding Flag Football

Christian Brothers University (TN) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school also named Jason Sonnenfelt as the inaugural head coach.

CBU is currently a member of the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference, but will leave to join the NAIA's Mid-South Conference at the start of the 2027-28 academic year. Christian Brothers will be one of five full members from the Mid-South Conference offering flag football, including Campbellsville, Cumberland, Freed-Hardeman, and Lindsey Wilson.

The Mid-South will begin sponsoring women's flag football in the 2027 spring season, with 10 teams competing: Campbellsville University (KY), Cumberland University (TN), Defiance College (OH), Freed-Hardeman University (TN), Indiana Wesleyan University, Lindsey Wilson University (KY), Midway University (KY), the University of Northwestern Ohio, University of Saint Francis (IN), and Wilberforce University (OH).

ECAC's 2027 Membership Changes

The ECAC's flag football membership has expanded to 29 in recent months. Two schools will not compete as anticipated. Allegheny College (PA) was part of the ECAC's inaugural season, but is not among the teams listed on the league website. Sweet Briar College (VA) was previously expected to launch a program for the 2026-27 academic year and play in the ECAC, but the school will no longer join the ECAC. It's uncertain if the program will launch in time for the 2027 spring season.

Five additional teams not previously known will also begin competing in the ECAC next season: Eastern Connecticut State University, Manhattan University (NY), Point Park University (PA), Roberts Wesleyan University (NY), and St. Joseph's University - Long Island (NY). The 29 teams will be separated into 4 divisions. The full list of teams expected to compete in 2027 is provided below.

Ithaca Adding Varsity Flag Football

Ithaca College (NY) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school is already accepting applications for the head coaching position. Aaron Bouyea, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Ithaca, provided this quote in the press release:

"Adding women's flag football is an exciting step for Ithaca College Athletics and an important opportunity to expand access to varsity competition for women. This is a sport with tremendous momentum nationally, and we believe Ithaca is well positioned to build a program that can compete at a high level while providing an outstanding student-athlete experience. We are excited about what this addition means for the future of Bomber athletics and look forward to welcoming the first members of our women's flag football program."

Ithaca becomes the fourth school from the NCAA Division III Liberty League to add women's flag football. Union College (NY) and William Smith College (NY) will both begin competing in the 2027 spring season as members of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Ithaca will join St. Lawrence University (NY) as a new program in 2027-28.

Jamestown Adding Varsity Team

The University of Jamestown (ND) will add varsity women's flag football beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. Jamestown will begin the search for a head coach soon. Brian Mistro, Jamestown Athletic Director, had this to say about the addition of flag football:

"This is bigger than simply adding another sport. It's about creating opportunities for young women and continuing to find ways to grow the University of Jamestown. If we can give more students an opportunity to compete, earn a degree, develop as leaders, and find a home at UJ, that is something worth being excited about.

We don't want to simply react to where college athletics has been. We want to pay attention to where it is going. Flag football has tremendous momentum, and we believe there is an opportunity for UJ to be part of building that collegiate pathway from the beginning. It makes sense for our students, it makes sense for our region, and it makes sense for where we are going as an athletic department.

"There are young athletes in our region right now who are discovering this sport and falling in love with it. As they begin thinking about college, we want UJ to be an option for them. This is a place where they can have an outstanding athletic experience and, just as importantly, receive an education that broadens how they think, prepares them for their profession and helps them grow into people who are ready to lead and serve others.

As we look at the future of Jimmie Athletics, we want to be intentional about where we grow. That means identifying opportunities that make sense for our students, our University, and our region. Women's flag football does all three. It allows us to welcome a new group of student-athletes to UJ while investing early in a sport that we believe has a strong future at the collegiate level. It's a decision that reflects our philosophy as an athletic department: People First. Jimmies Always."

Jamestown is the fourth institution from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) to add flag football. Augustana University (SD) and Minnesota State Mankato have club programs, while the University of Sioux Falls (SD) will add a varsity program for the 2027-28 academic year.

Manhattan Club Team to Join NCFA

Manhattan University's (NY) women's flag football club team will compete in the National Club Football Association (NCFA) for the 2026-27 academic year. Manhattan maintains separate club and varsity flag football programs. Manhattan is the 20th club to be announced as an NCFA member. The other 19 include:

Florida State University, Georgia College & State University, Grand Canyon University (AZ), High Point University (NC), Iona University (NY), Long Beach State University (CA), Niagara University (NY), Providence College (RI), Purdue University Fort Wayne (IN), Sacred Heart University (CT), Spelman College (GA), SUNY Cortland (NY), Syracuse University (NY), Texas Southern University, the University at Albany (NY), the University of Connecticut, the University of Oklahoma, the University of Vermont, and the University of Virginia.

Moorpark to Compete in 2027

Moorpark College's (CA) women's flag football team will begin competing in spring 2027. The school announced John Diaz as head coach and confirmed the timeline. Moorpark is a member of the Western State Conference in the California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A).

Northern Essex Adding Flag Football

Northern Essex Community College (MA) will add varsity women's flag football beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school is already accepting applications for the head coaching position. NECC Athletic Director Dan Blair said:

"We're excited to join the growing number of schools to sponsor Women's Flag Football, and offering new opportunities for women to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level. We look forward to bringing this exciting sport to our championship culture at Northern Essex. Right now, the sport has its greatest number of participants in Massachusetts within the Merrimack Valley and this will help us tremendously in building our program."

NECC is one of 10 collegiate flag football programs in the state and the third NJCAA school in Massachusetts to add the sport. Roxbury Community College began competing in the 2025-26 academic year, while Massasoit Community College will have a club team for the 2026-27 academic year. MCC will begin competing at the varsity level in 2027-28, just as NECC adds its program.

Saint Anselm to Add Flag Football

Saint Anselm College (NH) will add varsity women's flag football beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school has already posted the job description and application for the head coaching position. Phil Rowe, Director of Athletics at Saint Anselm, added:

 "We are excited to add women's flag football to our athletic offerings at Saint Anselm College and continue expanding opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the collegiate level. The growth of women's flag football presents an exciting opportunity for our College, and we look forward to building a program that reflects the values of Saint Anselm while providing student-athletes with a meaningful experience both on and off the field."

Saint Anselm is currently a member of the NCAA Division II Northeast-10 Conference, but will move to the D-III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. Saint Anselm is the first NEWMAC institution to add a club or varsity program.

Three schools in New Hampshire have announced the addition of women's flag football: Franklin Pierce University (D-II), Plymouth State University (D-III Club), and Saint Anselm.

Tusculum Adding Varsity Flag Football

Tusculum University (TN) will add varsity women's flag football beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The head coaching search will get underway immediately. Josh Ealy, Vice President for Athletics at Tusculum, stated:

"Adding women's flag football to Tusculum Athletics is an exciting step forward for our University and another opportunity to expand the collegiate experience for young women. As one of the NCAA's emerging sports for women and one of the fastest-growing sports across the country, flag football has tremendous momentum at the high school and collegiate levels.

We are excited to be part of that growth and to provide talented student-athletes with the opportunity to continue competing in a sport they love while earning their degree at Tusculum. This addition reflects our commitment to creating new opportunities, growing our athletic department, and positioning Tusculum at the forefront of an exciting new era in women's collegiate athletics."

Tusculum is the sixth institution from the South Atlantic Conference to add women's flag football. Mars Hill University (NC), Newberry College (SC), and Wingate University (NC) will compete as affiliate members in Conference Carolinas for the 2027 spring season. Carson-Newman University (TN) is currently expected to compete as an independent next season. Lincoln Memorial University (TN) and Tusculum will begin competing in the 2027-28 academic year. With six members, the South Atlantic could begin sponsoring the sport in 2027-28.