Faulkner, North Greenville, Talladega, and Washington College Adding Flag Football; KCAC Confirms 2 Affiliates
Faulkner University (AL) will add varsity women's flag football beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school will hire a head coach and use the 2026-27 academic year to recruit athletes for its first season in spring 2028.
Faulkner competes in the NAIA's Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC), which will begin sponsoring flag football in the 2026-27 academic year. In spring 2027, 9 teams will compete in the SSAC: Andrew College (GA), Brewton-Parker Christian University (GA), Life University (GA), Milligan University (TN), Point University (GA), Reinhardt University (GA), Thomas University (GA), the University of Tennessee Southern, and Wesleyan College (GA). Milligan and Reinhardt will compete as affiliate members.
The SSAC is set to have 10 flag football teams for the 2028 spring season, as Faulkner joins the 9 teams listed above. Fellow SSAC member Xavier University of Louisiana also offers flag football, but competes at the club level.
Stillman College and Talladega College are the only NAIA schools located in Alabama to offer flag football. Stillman will begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year. Talladega is in the process of hiring a coach for its club team, and the school also announced its new program this week.
North Greenville Adding Varsity Women's Flag Football Team
North Greenville University (SC) will add a varsity women's flag football program beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. NGU president Dr. Gene C. Fant, Jr. said:
"We are excited to see strategic growth in NGU's athletics programming, with this emerging sport coming to campus. Women's flag football has exploded in participation at the high school level, and we believe that this will provide a new pathway for some of these scholar-athletes to pursue degrees and cultivate the kind of life skills and disciplines that will cultivate successful transformational leaders for church and society."
North Greenville will compete in the NCAA Division II Conference Carolinas, which currently has 13 women's flag football members. In its inaugural campaign in the 2026 season, the Carolinas had 10 members compete: Barton College (NC), Chowan University (NC), Emmanuel University (GA), Ferrum College (VA), King University (TN), Lees-McRae College (NC), Mars Hill University (NC), Mount St. Mary's University (MD), the University of Mount Olive (NC), and Wingate University (NC).
In spring 2027, two more teams will join that list: Erskine College (SC) and Newberry College (SC). North Greenville will make it a baker's dozen in spring 2028, assuming no further changes to flag football membership.
South Carolina has 8 club or varsity women's flag football programs: Charleston Southern University (NCAA D-I), Claflin University (D-II), Clemson University (D-I Club), Coastal Carolina University (D-I Club), Erskine (D-II), Newberry (D-II), North Greenville (D-II), and the University of South Carolina Upstate (D-I).
Talladega Adding Women's Flag Football
Talladega College (AL) will add women's flag football beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The team will operate as a club sport, based on a job posting from the school. The additions of Talladega and Faulkner give Alabama 16 club or varsity women's flag football programs.
Talladega is the fifth school from the NAIA's HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) to add a club or varsity program. Southern University at New Orleans (LA) offers a club team, while Stillman College (AL), Wilberforce University (OH), and Wiley University (TX) will add varsity women's flag football teams for the 2026-27 academic year.
Washington College to Add Women's Flag Football Club Team
Washington College (MD) will add a women's flag football club team beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The school plans to elevate the club team to varsity status in the 2027-28 academic year. Thad Moore, Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, stated:
"One of the pillars of the Athletic Department's strategic plan is expanding programs that align with the department's goals and mission. With women's flag football recently announced as an Olympic sport for the 2028 Games and the NCAA Division III designation of the sport as an emerging sport, adding this varsity program is a natural fit for Washington College."
Washington is the second school from the NCAA Division III Centennial Conference to add a club or varsity team. Gettysburg College (PA) announced the addition of a varsity team in March, and will also begin competing in the 2027-28 academic year.
Maryland has 8 club or varsity women's flag football programs: Bowie State University (NCAA D-II), Harford Community College (NJCAA), Howard Community College (NJCAA), Mount St. Mary's University (D-I), the University of Maryland (D-I Club), the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (D-I Club), Washington Adventist University (NAIA), and Washington College (D-III Club).
KCAC Confirms 2 Additions for 2027
The NAIA's Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) confirmed that the College of Saint Mary (NE) and Hastings College (NE) will compete as flag football affiliate members for the 2026-27 academic year. Both additions were expected and reported when each program was launched.
In May 2025, Saint Mary (NE) announced it would add flag football and intended to join the KCAC as an affiliate. In November 2025, Hastings announced the same. Both schools are full members of the NAIA's Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), which does not currently sponsor flag football.
The KCAC listed 12 flag football programs for the 2027 spring season: Avila University (MO), Bethel College (KS), College of Saint Mary (NE), Cottey College (MO), Hastings (NE), Hesston College (KS), Kansas Wesleyan University, McPherson College (KS), Midland University (NE), Ottawa University (KS), Southwestern College (KS), and the University of Saint Mary (KS). The KCAC did not mention Oklahoma Wesleyan University, which was previously expected to begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year.