Great Southwest Athletic Conference to Sponsor Flag Football

The NAIA will have a third conference sponsoring women's flag football: the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC). The GSAC will begin competing in the 2026 spring season and be comprised of Arizona Christian, Benedictine-Mesa (AZ), Hope International (CA), La Sierra (CA), Ottawa University (AZ), and Simpson (CA). Simpson will be an affiliate member for women's flag football, while the other five institutions are already full members of the conference.

The NAIA kickstarted college flag football in 2021 when the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) and the Sun Conference began competing. The KCAC and Sun have contested each of the first five NAIA postseason championship finals, with Ottawa (KS) winning five straight titles. The GSAC is the first Western conference to sponsor the sport from the NCAA or NAIA.

10 individual conferences across the various collegiate governing bodies will sponsor flag football next year. In the NCAA, the Atlantic East (D-III), CIAA (D-II), Conference Carolinas (D-II), Empire 8 (D-III), and United East (D-III) will sponsor the sport. The NAIA has the aforementioned GSAC, KCAC, and Sun. The NJCAA will have at least two with the Florida College System Activities Association (FCSAA) and the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC).

College flag football will have over 200 women's club and varsity teams competing during the 2026 spring season, including more than 90 set to make their debut. The NAIA will have over 35 teams competing next year, and for the first time, will have more than two conferences.