Manhattan, Spring Hill Adding Varsity Women's Flag Football
Manhattan University (NY) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, according to the school's athletic website. In a message to Collegiate Flag Football, newly appointed head coach Frank Jennaco stated the school will offer scholarships and is currently recruiting athletes graduating in 2026 and 2027.
Manhattan is the fifth team from the NCAA D-I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) to add a team. Mount St. Mary's University (MD) offers a varsity program and will compete in the Conference Carolinas and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) for the upcoming 2026 spring season. Iona University (NY), Niagara University (NY), and Sacred Heart University (CT) offer club programs.
Manhattan is the 11th NCAA D-I school to announce the addition of a varsity program. Alabama State University, Cal Poly (CA), Fairleigh Dickinson University (NJ), Long Island University (NY), Mercyhurst University (PA), Mount St. Mary's University (MD), Mississippi Valley State University, the University of Nebraska, the University of North Alabama, and the University of Texas at Arlington also have varsity teams.
Spring Hill College (AL) will add a varsity women's flag football team and begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year. The Badgers are the second member of the NCAA Division II Gulf South Conference to add a team, following the University of West Alabama.
12 other schools in Alabama currently offer flag football or plan to. Those schools include Alabama State University (NCAA Division I), Bishop State (NJCAA), Calhoun (NJCAA), Huntingdon College (NCAA D-III), Lurleen B. Wallace (NJCAA), Northwest Shoals (NJCAA), Shelton State (NJCAA), Snead State (NJCAA), Stillman College (NAIA), University of North Alabama (D-I), Wallace State (NJCAA), and West Alabama (D-II) That number is expected to expand to at least 18, with the NJCAA's Alabama Community College Conference eyeing the addition of five teams next year.
It has been less than a week since the NCAA added flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program, but there have been plenty of big announcements. Nebraska became the first school from the NCAA Division I's Power 4 conferences to add a varsity team in the 2027-28 academic year. The NCAA D-II CIAA announced it will sponsor flag football at the varsity level in the 2026-27 academic year after two years of club competition. Knox College (IL) and Lakeland University (WI) will also begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year, giving flag football more than 60 new programs for next year.