Illinois Springfield, Missouri Valley College Adding Flag Football
Two more schools have announced the addition of women's flag football teams for the 2026-27 academic year. The University of Illinois Springfield is adding a varsity team, while Missouri Valley College confirmed it will add a varsity program as well.
Earlier in 2025, it was reported that Missouri Valley College was looking at adding a women's flag football team for the 2025-26 academic year. If a team was added for 2025-26, it was expected to be a club team. Instead, it will be a varsity program that begins competition in the 2026-27 academic year.
Missouri Valley is the sixth team from the NAIA's Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC) to add a flag football team. Baker University (KS), Graceland University (IA), Missouri Baptist University, William Penn University (IA), and William Woods University (MO) previously added or announced the addition of the sport. Baker, Graceland, and William Woods will compete as affiliate members in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) during the 2026 spring season.
With six members adding flag football by the start of the 2027 spring campaign, the HAAC could begin sponsoring the sport. Missouri Baptist, Missouri Valley, and William Penn have not announced any conference affiliation. The NAIA will begin holding an Invitational Tournament for flag football in spring 2026.
There are now seven flag football programs in Missouri: Cottey College (NAIA), Missouri Baptist University (NAIA), Missouri Southern State University (NCAA D-II), Missouri Valley College (NAIA), North Central Missouri College (NJCAA), Westminster College (NCAA D-III), and William Woods University (NAIA).
Over in the neighboring state of Illinois, the University of Illinois Springfield is the second school from the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) to add flag football. Lewis University (IL) announced the addition of flag football in late October and AD John Ashaolu discussed the addition in more depth a couple of weeks later.
Illinois is at 13 flag football programs. In addition to Illinois Springfield and Lewis, Aurora University (NCAA D-III), Benedictine University (D-III), Blackburn University (D-III), College of DuPage (NJCAA), Eureka College (D-III), Illinois College (D-III), Illinois Wesleyan University (D-III), Millikin University (D-III), North Park University (D-III), Rockford University (D-III), and Triton College (NJCAA) have added the sport. Greenville University (D-III) is in the process of hiring a coach, but hasn't made an official announcement regarding the addition of a flag football team.
Over 60 teams have announced that a flag football team will debut during the 2026-27 academic year. All three NCAA divisions have recommended that flag football be added to the Emerging Sports for Women Program, with a vote expected at the NCAA's convention in January 2026. The NFL is expected to announce new professional flag leagues and flag football will make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.