Molloy, Oregon, and Wake Forest Adding Flag Football; Pitt Joining NIRSA
Molloy University (NY) will add a varsity women's flag football team beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The school will begin recruiting athletes in the coming months for the first season in spring 2028. Michael Grasso, Molloy's Director of Athletics, stated:
“We are excited to bring Women’s Flag Football to Molloy and provide another outstanding avenue for student-athletes to compete, grow, and represent the Lions with pride. The rapid growth of this sport across the country makes this an exciting time to expand our athletic offerings and welcome a new generation of student-athletes to our community.”
Molloy is the seventh member of the NCAA Division II East Coast Conference to add a club or varsity team. The College of Staten Island (NY) and Daemen University (NY) both have club programs. D'Youville University (NY), Mercy University (NY), Roberts Wesleyan University (NY), and St. Thomas Aquinas College (NY) all have varsity teams.
New York has nearly 40 club and varsity women's college flag football programs. Molloy will join Binghamton University (NCAA D-I) and Manhattanville University (NCAA D-III) as new programs in the state for the 2027-28 academic year. Molloy is the fifth NCAA D-II school to announce a varsity flag football program for the 2027-28 academic year, following Franklin Pierce University (NH), Henderson State University (AR), North Greenville University (SC), and Quincy University (IL).
Oregon and Wake Forest Adding Club Teams
Two schools from the Power 4 conferences will add student-run club teams for the 2026-27 academic year. The University of Oregon and Wake Forest University (NC) will begin competing next season. Both schools confirmed the additions via social media.
Oregon becomes the 9th Big Ten school to add a club or varsity team. Eight of those are student-run club teams: Pennsylvania State University, Oregon, Rutgers University (NJ), UCLA (CA), University of Indiana, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, and USC (CA). The only varsity program is the University of Nebraska, which is scheduled to start competing in the 2027-28 academic year.
Wake Forest is the 10th ACC school to add a student-run club team. Clemson University (SC), Duke University (NC), Florida State University, Georgia Tech University, North Carolina State University, Syracuse University (NY), University of California, Berkeley, University of Pittsburgh (PA), and the University of Virginia also offer club teams.
Club teams are most popular in NCAA Division I, with at least 80 expected to compete in the 2026-27 academic year. The rapid increase has led to not one but two dedicated women's flag football club leagues. The National Club Football Association (NCFA) currently has 16 teams lined up for its inaugural season. NIRSA's revamped Women's Flag Football Club League is currently at 46 teams for 2026-27, with more than 50 expected to compete.
Pittsburgh Club Team to Join NIRSA
The University of Pittsburgh (PA) will compete in NIRSA's Women's Flag Football Club League for the 2026-27 academic year. Pitt becomes the 46th team to join NIRSA's new league, which was announced two months ago.
14 schools were originally announced as part of the league: Bowling Green State University (OH), Clemson University (SC), Coastal Carolina University (SC), Florida Atlantic University, Grand Canyon University (AZ), North Carolina A&T State University, Pennsylvania State University, Radford University (VA), Texas Southern University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of North Florida, and University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Another 10 schools joined shortly, growing the list to 24: Arizona State University, Florida State University, North Carolina Central University, the University of Albany (NY), the University of Colorado, the University of Denver (CO), the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), the University of Nevada, Reno, the University of Oklahoma, and the University of South Florida.
Another dozen schools joined in mid-May, bringing the list to 36. Duke University (NC), Georgia Southern University, North Carolina State University, Old Dominion University (VA), Plymouth State University (NH), the University of Michigan, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte were the seven teams that joined, followed by another five: Florida International University, Georgia College & State University, the University of Arizona, UCLA, and the University of Delaware.
In late May, Indiana University became the 37th team to join, followed by Delaware State University and the University of California, Berkeley at the end of the month. At the start of June, three more schools were announced: Long Beach State University (CA), the University of Pennsylvania, and USC. Boise State University (ID), San Diego State University (CA), and UC Davis (CA) were announced in mid-June, bringing the total to 45.