Dawson, Massasoit, and St. Lawrence Adding Women's Flag Football Teams
Dawson Community College (MT) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The school will hire a head coach in the coming months. Dawson president Chad Knudson stated:
"When I looked at all of the momentum behind girl's flag football in Montana, I thought about the lack of opportunities those girls have to pursue the sport at the collegiate level. We always look for opportunities for Montana students to advance their education. When we can combine the chance to pursue an athletic passion and all the discipline and teamwork that involves, with a first-class education that will serve them for a lifetime, we are truly helping to advance the workforce Montana is looking for. Flag football fits this mission perfectly."
Dawson is the first collegiate varsity program and NJCAA school in Montana to add the sport. Only two other colleges in the state have flag football programs, with NCAA Division I Montana State University and the University of Montana offering student-run club teams. DCC competes in the Mon-Dak Conference and is the only member of the conference to sponsor women's flag football.
Dawson is not the only NJCAA school to announce the addition of flag football this week...
Massasoit Community College Adding Flag Football
Massasoit Community College (MA) is adding women's flag football. Massasoit will compete as a club team for the 2026-27 academic year before moving to varsity status for the 2027-28 academic year. MCC is the second NJCAA school in Massachusetts to offer flag football, following Roxbury Community College. Roxbury competed for the first time in the 2025-26 academic year and played in the NJCAA Invitational.
Massasoit was one of four schools to receive a grant from the NJCAA Foundation, NFL FLAG, and RCX Sports. Alexandria Technical and Community College (MN), Central Community College (NE), and Murray State College (OK) were the other three recipients. Those three schools had previously announced the addition of flag football.
Massachusetts now has six club and varsity women's flag football programs expected to compete in 2026-27. Roxbury is the lone varsity team, while Dean College (NCAA D-III), Harvard University (NCAA D-I), Massasoit, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (NCAA D-III), and Westfield State University (NCAA D-III) are club teams. Four of the club teams (all except Harvard) are planning to transition to varsity status in 2027-28.
In June, the NJCAA announced it would add women's flag football as a championship sport beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The 2026-27 academic year will feature the final invitational event, which is slated to be held at the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
New teams for the 2026-27 academic year include Alexandria Technical and Community College (MN), Camden County College (NJ), Central Alabama Community College, Dallas College Richland (TX), Dawson Community College (MT), Enterprise State Community College (AL), Jackson State Community College (TN), Massasoit, Murray State College (OK), Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland (NJ), Rowan College of South Jersey-Gloucester (NJ), Richard Bland College (VA), Southern Union State Community College (AL), and St. Clair County Community College (MI).
St. Lawrence Adding Varsity Flag Football
St. Lawrence University (NY) will add varsity women's flag football beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school also announced the addition of varsity women's triathlon. President Kate Morris said:
"As St. Lawrence continues to invest in the student experience, we're proud to expand opportunities for women to compete, lead, and grow through varsity athletics. Adding women's flag football and women's triathlon reflects both the remarkable momentum of these sports nationwide and our commitment to evolving in ways that serve today's students while strengthening the future of the University."
St. Lawrence is the third school from the NCAA Division III Liberty League to add a club or varsity team. Hobart and William Smith Colleges (NY) and Union College (NY) have also added varsity teams and are expected to begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year.
New York has nearly 40 club and varsity women's flag football teams between current and future programs. For the 2027-28 academic year, St. Lawrence will join fellow in-state schools Binghamton University (NCAA D-I), Manhattanville University (NCAA D-III), and Molloy University (NCAA D-II) with new flag football teams.
The NCAA added flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program in January 2026, but is already keen on making it a championship sport. The NCAA formally recommended that all three divisions sponsor proposals to add a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship. The proposals will be voted on at the NCAA's annual convention in January 2027. If approved, the first championship would likely take place in spring 2028.