ECAC Confirms 29 Teams for 2027; JJC, Montco, and Roosevelt Adding Flag Football
The New York Jets announced an additional $500,000 commitment to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), allowing the conference to expand to 29 teams. Collegiate Flag Football originally reported the full list of 29 teams on October 15.
In December 2025, the Jets and the ECAC announced a college flag football league for the 2026 spring season, with the Jets providing a $1 million grant from the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation. The announcement initially listed 15 schools intending to compete by the start of the 2027 season, but the conference quickly grew to 15 schools participating in the inaugural season.
At the ECAC's inaugural conference tournament in May, commissioner Dan Coonan said the goal was to have a 32-team conference and a "March Madness-style" tournament for the 2027 season. Additional schools announced their affiliation with the ECAC shortly after the conference's tournament.
The ECAC's 2027 spring season will take place from February through May, and conclude with a conference tournament involving all 29 teams. The ECAC championship will be held at MetLife Stadium. Marymount (VA) won the first ECAC championship over Franciscan (OH) 37-26.
The 29 teams will be separated into four Divisions based on geography: Broadway, Gotham, Sack Exchange, and Titans, but the second press release didn't break down the teams in each division. However, placeholder names previously included Great Lakes (7 teams), Metro (8), Mid-Atlantic (7), and Northeast (7). The table below lists the 29 teams based on the previous division names. The list is subject to change.
| Team | Varsity/Club | Division |
|---|---|---|
| Caldwell (NJ) | Varsity | Northeast |
| Centenary (NJ) | Varsity | Northeast |
| Chestnut Hill (PA) | Varsity | Mid-Atlantic |
| Dominican (NY) | Varsity | Metro |
| Eastern (PA) | Varsity | Mid-Atlantic |
| Eastern Connecticut State | Varsity | Northeast |
| Fairleigh Dickinson (NJ) | Varsity | Northeast |
| Franciscan (OH) | Club | Mid-Atlantic |
| Iona (NY) | Club | Metro |
| Kean (NJ) | Varsity | Mid-Atlantic |
| Long Island (NY) | Varsity | Metro |
| Manhattan (NY) | Varsity | Metro |
| Marymount (VA) | Varsity | Mid-Atlantic |
| Mercy (NY) | Varsity | Northeast |
| Mercyhurst (PA) | Varsity | Great Lakes |
| Montclair State (NJ) | Varsity | Northeast |
| Mount St. Mary's (MD) | Varsity | Mid-Atlantic |
| Penn State Schuylkill (PA) | Varsity | Great Lakes |
| Point Park (PA) | Varsity | Great Lakes |
| Roberts Wesleyan (NY) | Varsity | Great Lakes |
| Sacred Heart (CT) | Club | Northeast |
| Saint Joseph's (PA) | Club | Mid-Atlantic |
| St. Joseph's Brooklyn (NY) | Varsity | Metro |
| St. Joseph's Long Island (NY) | Varsity | Metro |
| St. Thomas Aquinas (NY) | Varsity | Metro |
| Union (NY) | Varsity | Great Lakes |
| Villa Maria (NY) | Varsity | Great Lakes |
| Wagner (NY) | Club | Metro |
| William Smith (NY) | Varsity | Great Lakes |
JJC and Montco Adding Flag Football
Two NJCAA schools, Joliet Junior College (IL) and Montgomery County Community College (PA), will add varsity women's flag football teams. JJC will begin competing in the 2027-28 academic year, while Montgomery County will begin competing in spring 2027.
According to Gregg Braun, JJC's athletic director, the school has been considering flag football since the summer of 2024. JJC is one of nearly two dozen colleges in Illinois to announce a women's flag football program. Here's what Braun had to say about the addition:
"The addition of women's flag football further demonstrates JJC's commitment to expanding opportunities for women in collegiate athletics. With participation continuing to grow within our district, now is the perfect time for JJC to provide student-athletes with an opportunity to continue competing at the collegiate level."
Montgomery County named Nyere Miller as the inaugural head coach of the flag football program. Over 40 club and varsity flag football teams will compete in Pennsylvania. Montco is the third NJCAA member in Pennsylvania to add a women's flag football team, following Harcum College and Harrisburg Area Community College.
In June, the NJCAA announced it would elevate women's flag football to a championship sport beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. Roughly 40 NJCAA programs are expected to compete in the 2026-27 academic year, and that number will grow to nearly 50 for spring 2028. The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) will move its season from fall to spring beginning with 2027-28. Nearly a dozen community college programs have announced or are expected to announce programs in the coming months.
Roosevelt Adding Flag Football, Quincy Joining GLIAC
Roosevelt University (IL) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school has already started its search for a head coach. Mike Cassidy, Vice President of Athletics and Student-Athlete Success, said:
“Women’s flag football is one of the fastest growing sports at the high school level, and an emerging sport at the NCAA level. The addition of women’s flag football at Roosevelt provides a transformational next step for those participants to live, learn and compete at Chicago’s only NCAA Division II institution. I cannot wait to aid in the program’s development, creating another pathway for students to be a part of the Lakers student-athlete experience.”
Roosevelt is the fifth member in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) to add women's flag football. Davenport University (MI), Purdue University Northwest (IN), Saginaw Valley State University (MI), and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside also offer varsity teams.
In June, the GLIAC announced it would begin sponsoring women's flag football beginning with the 2027 spring season. Davenport, Purdue Northwest, Saginaw Valley State, and UW-Parkside will compete, along with affiliate member Lewis University (IL). In the same announcement, the GLIAC noted that the University of Illinois Springfield will also compete as an affiliate member beginning with the 2027-28 academic year.
Roosevelt's announcement also revealed that Quincy University (IL) will compete in the GLIAC as an affiliate member beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. As it stands, the GLIAC will have 8 teams for the 2028 spring season, comprised of 5 GLIAC full members and 3 affiliate members from the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC).
Two More Club Teams Launching
Two NCAA student-run women's flag football club teams will launch during the 2026-27 academic year: Elizabeth City State University (NC) and the University of California, Riverside.
ECSU is a member of the NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The CIAA has sponsored women's flag football at the club level for the previous two seasons and announced plans to elevate the sport to varsity status for spring 2027. Winston-Salem State University (NC) won the CIAA's club tournament in its first two years.
UC Riverside would be the 9th team from the NCAA Division I Big West Conference to add a women's flag football program. Cal Poly SLO is the only varsity program, while Cal Baptist, Cal State Northridge, Long Beach State, Sacramento State, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and Utah Valley University also have club teams. Sacramento State will add a varsity team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, giving the Big West two varsity programs.