Middle Atlantic Conference Sponsoring Women's Flag Football in 2026-27
The NCAA Division III Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) will sponsor women's flag football as a conference sport beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. Megan Morrison, Executive Director of the MAC, said:
"The addition of women’s flag football is a natural and exciting evolution for the MAC. By officially bringing women's flag football under the MAC umbrella, we are not only expanding our robust portfolio of sports and championships, but we are also reinforcing our steadfast commitment to gender equity and supporting emerging sports for women."
The MAC will have four initial members for the 2027 spring season: Albright College (PA), Eastern University (PA), Marywood University (PA), and Neumann University (PA). Albright is a new program for 2026-27, while Eastern, Maywood, and Neumann previously competed in the NCAA Division III Atlantic East Conference. Messiah University (PA) will add flag football for the 2027-28 academic year, followed by Lebanon Valley College (PA) in 2028-29.
The MAC becomes the seventh NCAA D-III conference to sponsor women's varsity flag football. The Atlantic East did so first in the 2023-24 academic year, followed by the Empire 8, Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC), and United East Conference in 2025-26. The MAC will join the American Southwest Conference and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) in sponsoring women's flag football for the first time during the 2026-27 academic year.
The Atlantic East has seen an exodus of teams ahead of the 2027 spring season, with five teams departing. In addition to Eastern, Marywood, and Neumann, Chestnut Hill University (PA) and Holy Family University (PA) will compete in the NCAA Division II Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) for flag football during the 2026-27 academic year. The CACC announced it would sponsor women's flag football starting in the 2027 spring season.
The Atlantic East has four teams remaining: Centenary University (NJ), Immaculata University (PA), Marymount University (VA), and Penn State Schuylkill (PA). In March 2026, the Atlantic East and United East Conferences announced a strategic sponsorship to provide access to NCAA championships. Flag football was not part of the initial list of sports that would essentially see the conferences combine teams.
The Atlantic East has four varsity teams, while the United East currently has five: Cairn University (PA), Cedar Crest College (PA), Gallaudet University (D.C.), Keystone College (PA), and Penn State Harrisburg (PA). Lancaster Bible College (PA) competes at the club level and could elevate to varsity status in the future.
Women's flag football has grown rapidly over the past two years, with increased velocity in 2026. In January, the NCAA added flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program. The same day all three divisions added it to the program, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln became the first school from a Power 4 conference to add flag football as a varsity sport.
In May, the NCAA formally recommended that women's flag football become a championship sport. A vote will take place at the NCAA's annual convention in January 2027, with the first NCAA collegiate championship expected to occur in spring 2028. Over 250 NCAA schools currently sponsor club or varsity flag football.
Outside the NCAA, two governing bodies voted to make women's flag football a championship sport. The NAIA approved women's flag football as a championship sport for the 2026-27 academic year, while the NJCAA did the same for the 2027-28 academic year. The California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) added women's flag football as an emerging sport for the 2026-27 academic year, with championship sport status exceedingly likely in the coming years.