Hesston College Flag Football Joining KCAC

Hesston College (KS) will join the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) in flag football for the upcoming 2026 campaign. Hesston previously competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) before joining the NAIA beginning with the 2025-26 academic year.

The addition of Hesston puts the KCAC at 11 flag football members for the 2026 season: Baker University (KS), Bethel College (KS), Cottey College (MO), Graceland University (IA), Hesston College (KS), Kansas Wesleyan University (KS), Midland University (NE), Ottawa University (KS), Southwestern College (KS), University of Saint Mary (KS), and William Woods University (MO).

The KCAC may be adding more teams in the future as well. Both the College of Saint Mary (NE) and Oklahoma Wesleyan University are planning to apply for affiliate membership to join the KCAC in flag football. Those two schools would begin playing during the 2027 spring season and could potentially give the KCAC a baker's dozen of flag football schools.

The NAIA recently approved flag football as an invitational sport, effective with the 2026 season. The change will move the NAIA's postseason to a qualification-based invitational tournament. Also new for the 2026 season will be a third conference. Joining the KCAC and Sun, the Great Southwest Athletic Conference (GSAC) will begin competing with schools from Arizona and California.