Westminster College to Add Women's Flag Football

Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri will add a women's varsity flag football team and begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year. Westminster is the fourth school to add flag football this week following Allegheny College (PA), Bryant & Stratton (Albany, NY) and Bucks County Community College (PA).

Westminster is a member of the NCAA Division III St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). The Blue Jays are the second SLIAC school to add the sport, with Blackburn College (IL) announcing an addition earlier this year. Both schools will begin their flag football journeys in the 2027 spring season.

Nearly a dozen schools are set flag football in 2026-27:Albright (PA), Blackburn (IL), Defiance (OH), Lourdes (OH), Meredith (NC), Northwestern Ohio (OH), Oklahoma Wesleyan (OK), Ripon (WI), Saint Mary (NE), Saginaw Valley State (MI), UT Arlington (TX), and Westminster (MO).

Missouri already has four teams competing in 2025-2026 with Cottey College (NAIA), Missouri Southern State University (NCAA D-II), North Central Missouri College (NJCAA), and William Woods (NAIA). In addition, Missouri Valley College (NAIA) may add a club team for the 2026 spring season.

More announcements are expected in the coming week and months as flag football continues to grow at the collegiate level. Over 215 club and varsity teams from college across the US will compete in the 2026 spring season, including almost 100 new teams. The NAIA recently moved flag football from an emerging sport to invitational status for the upcoming 2026 season, while the NCAA is likely to add flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program.