Citrus, Daemen, Hawaii Pacific, Manhattanville, and Quincy to Add Varsity Flag Football; 6 Club Changes
Citrus College (CA) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. Citrus will compete in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA/3C2A). Junior Domingo, Dean of Kinesiology, Health and Athletics at Citrus, stated:
"Flag football is rapidly growing in popularity throughout our region. It became clear that adding a competitive women's flag football team was a win-win for prospective students and the entire campus community."
Citrus is at least the third school from the Western State Conference to add a flag football program. Oxnard College and Santa Barbara City College also offer flag football, with both programs competing during the 2026 spring season.
California has nearly 50 schools offering club or varsity flag football programs, including future teams. The 3C2A will have at least two dozen teams for the 2026-27 academic year. The state currently has the most programs of any state in the country, with nearly 10 more than New York. Last week, Westcliff University in Irvine, California, also announced the addition of a varsity program.
Daemen Adding Varsity Flag Football; ECC Close to Sponsorship
Daemen University (Amherst, New York) will add a varsity women's flag football program beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. Daemen already has a club team, which was not referenced in the school's press release. The school is already in the process of hiring a coach for the varsity team. Traci Murphy, Vice President for Athletics, said:
"Daemen University is proud to embrace the future of collegiate athletics by adding women's flag football to our varsity lineup. Regionally, girls' flag football has experienced explosive growth, highlighted by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association now offering an official varsity state championship. By launching this program, Daemen provides a vital, historic platform for these talented high school graduates to continue their athletic journeys."
The NCAA Division II East Coast Conference confirmed that it will begin sponsoring women's flag football when it reaches the NCAA minimum requirement of six varsity teams. The ECC currently has five varsity teams and one club team. D'Youville University (NY), Mercy University (NY), Roberts Wesleyan University (NY), and St. Thomas Aquinas College (NY) already have varsity programs. The College of Staten Island (NY) offers a club team. When Daemen competes at the varsity level beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, it will bring the ECC to five schools, barring any additional changes.
Hawaii Pacific Becomes First School in State to Offer Flag Football
Hawaii Pacific University will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. HPU is the first school in the state to offer a club or varsity program. The school will announce its inaugural head coach in the near future. Debbie Snell, Executive Director of Athletics, had this to say:
"This is a great day for HPU and for women's athletics in Hawaiʻi. Flag football expands opportunities for our female student-athletes and adds even more energy and passion to campus life. We're proud to be the first university in the state to offer it at the collegiate level."
Hawaii Pacific plans to compete against an assortment of opponents. The school noted it will compete in the NCAA Division II Pacific West Conference, which currently has only one other team offering the sport: Menlo College. Menlo will depart the PacWest to join the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. HPU also plans to compete against "post-high school leagues," O'ahu club teams, and PacWest affiliate members.
Manhattanville to Add Varsity Team in 2028
Manhattanville University (NY) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school will hire a coach over the summer and allow them to recruit throughout the 2026-27 academic year. Julene Caulfield, associate vice president of athletics and recreation, stated:
"I am excited to add Women's Flag Football to our athletic sponsorship. This is a rapidly growing sport at the high school, collegiate and Olympic level that will create new opportunities for female student-athletes to compete, lead and be a part of the Valiant Family."
Manhattanville plans to compete in the NCAA Division III Skyline Conference, which is in the same position as the East Coast Conference. The Skyline currently has five varsity teams and requires one more member to add a varsity program to reach the NCAA-required minimum of six. Manhattanville will join already established Skyline programs at Mount Saint Mary College (NY), SUNY Old Westbury (NY), St. Joseph's University Brooklyn (NY), and St. Joseph's University Long Island (NY). That quartet competed at the Skyline's inaugural conference championship earlier this spring.
New York is in a battle with Pennsylvania for the second-most collegiate flag football programs. Including future club and varsity programs, New York has 37 teams, one more than Pennsylvania. Both states trail California, which has nearly 50 programs.
Quincy Adding Varsity Flag Football
Quincy University (IL) will also add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. Like the other programs, Quincy will hire a head coach this summer. Josh Rabe, Director of Athletics, stated:
"Launching women's flag football at Quincy University is an exciting step forward for our athletic department and our university as a whole. This sport is experiencing tremendous growth across the country, and we are proud to provide new opportunities for female student-athletes to compete, lead, and represent Quincy University. Women's flag football aligns with our commitment to expanding opportunities and continuing to position Quincy University as a forward-thinking institution in collegiate athletics."
Quincy is the third team from the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference to add a varsity program. The other two are also located in Illinois, but plan to start in the 2026-27 academic year: Lewis University and the University of Illinois Springfield. Quincy's addition pushes Illinois to 19 flag football programs across the NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA. Bradley University (NCAA D-I) and Knox College (NCAA D-III) are the only two that offer a club team, but Knox plans to elevate its team to varsity status in the 2027-28 academic year.
Five More Schools Joining NIRSA Leagues
NIRSA has added another four clubs to its Women's Flag Football Club Leagues for the 2026-27 academic year. Florida International University, Georgia College & State University, the University of Arizona, UCLA, and the University of Delaware are set to compete in NIRSA next season.
NIRSA has been consistently adding teams for its revamped flag football club league. The original announcement regarding the partnership with the NFL had an initial list of 14 schools: Bowling Green State University (OH), Clemson University (SC), Coastal Carolina University (SC), Florida Atlantic University, Grand Canyon University (AZ), North Carolina A&T State University, Pennsylvania State University, Radford University (VA), Texas Southern University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of North Florida, and University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
The list grew to 24 when another 10 schools were announced for the 2026-27 academic year: Arizona State University, Florida State University, North Carolina Central University, the University of Albany (NY), the University of Colorado, the University of Denver (CO), the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of South Florida.
Another 7 additions last week pushed the tally to 31: Duke University (NC), Georgia Southern University, North Carolina State University, Old Dominion University (VA), Plymouth State University (NH), the University of Michigan, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
With the five most recent additions, NIRSA currently has 36 women's flag football club teams committed to playing in the 2026-27 academic year. That number is expected to continue growing throughout the summer. 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.
Sacred Heart to Join NCFA
Sacred Heart University (CT) will compete in the National Club Football Association (NCFA) for the 2026-27 academic year. The Pioneers are now one of 15 club teams expected to compete in the NCFA next season.
The other 14 schools that will compete are Florida State University, Georgia College & State University, Grand Canyon University (AZ), High Point University (NC), Long Beach State University (CA), Purdue University Fort Wayne (IN), Spelman College (GA), 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.
The NCFA will launch in the 2026-27 academic year, with plans to have close to 32 teams. The league will be separated into four regions, with conference games scheduled throughout the fall and spring semesters. The winners of the four regional playoffs will meet in the national championship at the end of April 2027.
For club teams interested in competing in the NCFA during the 2026-27 academic year, please reach out to Sandy Sanderson via email at Sandy.Sanderson@CollClubSports.com.