Mt. San Jacinto Adding Flag Football; 2 More Clubs Joining NIRSA
Mt. San Jacinto College (CA) is adding a varsity women's flag football team for the 2026-27 academic year. The college also announced Jonathan Norton as the program's inaugural head coach.
MSJC is a member of the California Community College Athletics Association (3C2A) and is one of at least six 3C2A schools to announce a new program for the 2026-27 academic year. Citrus College, Los Angeles Harbor College, Pasadena City College, Reedley College, and Santiago Canyon College are also launching flag football for the 2027 spring season.
The 3C2A recently announced that women's flag football will be classified as an emerging sport beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The 3C2A will recognize flag football as an emerging sport for as many as four years. The 3C2A requires 10 or more varsity programs for two consecutive years before flag football can become a championship sport.
California currently has the most collegiate flag football programs in the US, with more than 40 club and varsity teams scheduled to compete in the 2026-27 academic year. New York has 37, followed by Pennsylvania with 32, and Florida with 26.
LBSU and Penn Join NIRSA
Long Beach State University (CA) and the University of Pennsylvania are the latest club teams to be added to NIRSA's Women's Flag Football Club League for the 2026-27 academic year. NIRSA has grown its club league rapidly since announcing a partnership with the NFL in May.
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 to push 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. The addition of USC earlier this week brought the total to 40, while LBSU and Penn are the 41st and 42nd schools to be announced.
At least 50 teams are expected to compete in the NIRSA Women's Flag Football League, but that number could climb higher in the fall. More details regarding the schedules and end-of-season championship set for April 2027 will be provided at a later date. Teams interested in competing in NIRSA's women's flag football club league can reach out to National Flag Football Manager Nik Sandona via email at nik.sandona@nirsa.org.