The 2026 spring women's college flag football season has come to a close, but the next academic year is on the horizon. That means there will be plenty of colleges and universities adding women's flag football to their athletic offerings. NCAA, NAIA, junior colleges, and community colleges will all add teams for next year.

Below is a list of all the new women's college flag football teams for the 2026-27 academic year. There will be a mix of new club and varsity teams, alongside the schools that competed in previous seasons. Several conferences are sponsoring flag football for the first time in 2027, which results in some schools changing their flag football conference affiliation.

We'll provide the entire list of changes below and provide additional information on the new conferences and other changes happening for the 2026-27 academic year. The list is subject to change, as schools continually reevaluate their sports sponsorships. There's also a dedicated section that shows a list and map of all schools that sponsor flag football.

Women's College Flag Football Status by Governing Body

As of the 2026-27 academic year, four collegiate governing bodies sponsor women's flag football as an emerging sport or invitational sport. The NAIA has made women's flag football a championship sport, while the 3C2A, NCAA, and NJCAA classify women's flag football as an emerging sport.

The 3C2A added women's flag football as an emerging sport beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. To become eligible for championship status, flag football requires at least 10 varsity programs for two consecutive years. Women's flag football could become a championship sport in the 3C2A as soon as the 2028-29 academic year.

The NAIA has made women's flag football a championship sport beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. Flag football was previously an emerging sport from 2020-21 through 2024-25, and elevated to invitational status for the 2025-26 academic year. The 2027 NAIA Women's Flag Football National Championship will feature a 12-team bracket.

All three NCAA divisions added women's flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women Program in January 2026. The sport has also been recommended for championship status, with a vote scheduled to take place at the NCAA's annual convention in January 2027. If approved, the first championship would take place in the spring of the 2027-28 academic year.

The NJCAA currently has women's flag football as an emerging sport since the 2023-24 academic year and has held an invitational since the 2022-23 academic year. The 2026-27 academic year will be the final women's flag football invitational, as the NJCAA voted to make women's flag football a championship sport beginning with the 2027-28 academic year. The 2027 invitational will be hosted by the College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

New Women's Flag Football Conferences

Eight conferences across the NCAA and NAIA will begin sponsoring flag football championships in the 2026-27 academic year. Let's start in the NCAA, which will see three conferences add the sport and one elevated to varsity status.

In NCAA Division I, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will sponsor women's flag football for the 2026-27 academic year. The MEAC did not specify how many or which teams would compete in the inaugural season. The conference plans to have a championship after the 2027 regular season concludes.

In NCAA Division II, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) will add flag football. The spring 2027 CACC lineup currently consists of Caldwell University (NJ), Chestnut Hill College (PA), Dominican University New York, Goldey-Beacom College (DE), Holy Family University (PA), Post University (CT), and the University of Bridgeport (CT). Chestnut Hill and Holy Family previously competed in the NCAA Division III Atlantic East Conference. Post was an independent for the 2025-26 academic year, while Bridgeport, Caldwell, and Dominican will be new programs.

The D-II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) will also sponsor varsity women's flag football beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. The first season will feature Davenport University (MI), Lewis University (IL), Purdue University Northwest (IN), Saginaw Valley State University (MI), and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Staying in NCAA D-II, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) will elevate its club teams to varsity status beginning with the 2026-27 academic year. 8 teams will compete: Bowie State University (MD), Claflin University (SC), Fayetteville State University (NC), Johnson C. Smith University (NC), Livingstone College (NC), Shaw University (NC), Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University (NC). Shaw will be a new program, while the status of Bluefield State University (WV) is unclear. BSU competed in the 2025 spring season but did not play in 2026.

The final NCAA Division II conference change is that the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) will begin sponsoring flag football with the 2026-27 academic year. At least 10 teams are expected to compete in a 12-game conference slate, which will culminate in a conference championship tournament.

NCAA Division III will have at least three new flag football conferences: The American Southwest Conference (ASC) and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). The ASC will have six members for 2027, and all six programs are located in Texas: East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Howard Payne University, McMurry University, Schreiner University, and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

The second D-III conference to add women's flag football for 2026-27 is the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC). The MAC will have four members: Albright College (PA), Eastern University (PA), Marywood University (PA), and Neumann University (PA).

The third new D-III conference is the SCAC, which currently has five members for the 2027 spring season. Centenary College of Louisiana, Concordia University Texas, Hendrix College (AR), Huntingdon College (AL), and Millsaps College (MS) will compete for the first championship. None of those five teams had a conference affiliation for the 2025-26 academic year.

Moving to the NAIA, there will be two new conferences, starting with the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC). The first season will have six teams: Baker University (KS), Graceland University (IA), Missouri Baptist University, Missouri Valley College (MO), William Penn University (IA), and William Woods University (MO). Baker, Graceland, and William Woods will leave the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) to join the HAAC, while Missouri Baptist, Missouri Valley, and William Penn are new programs.

The second new conference in the NAIA for spring 2027 will be the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC). Andrew College (GA), Brewton-Parker Christian University (GA), Life University (GA), Milligan University (TN), Point University (GA), Reinhardt University (GA), Thomas University (GA), the University of Tennessee Southern, and Wesleyan College (GA) are set to compete in the SSAC's first season.

Five schools will leave the Sun Conference to join the SSAC: Brewton-Parker, Life, Point, Reinhardt, and Thomas. Andrew (NJCAA) and Milligan (NAIA) previously competed as independent teams. UT Southern and Wesleyan will make their flag football debut during the 2026-27 academic year.

Women's College Flag Football Club Changes

The 2026-27 academic year will see not one but two club organizations debut new competitions: the National Club Football Association (NCFA) and the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA).

The NCFA will launch in the 2026-27 academic year, with plans to have close to 32 teams. The league will be separated into four regions, with conference games scheduled throughout the fall and spring semesters. The winners of the four regional playoffs will meet in the national championship at the end of April 2027.

NIRSA has a long history of offering women's flag football at the club and intramural levels, but will pivot more towards the club aspect in 2026-27. NIRSA and the NFL are partnering for a dedicated Women's Flag Football Club League, which will culminate in a championship during April 2027.

New Women's College Flag Football Teams for 2026 and 2027

At least 140 new club or varsity women's college flag football teams will begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year. This includes teams from the 3C2A, NAIA, NCAA, NJCAA, and USCAA. Please note that this list is subject to change as more teams launch or start dates change. Schools elevating a club team to varsity status are not included, as this is reserved for programs that have not previously competed. Those changes are detailed in the affiliation changes section below.

Women's College Flag Football Conference Affiliation Changes for 2026 and 2027

At least 85 collegiate women's flag football teams will change conference affiliations for the 2026-27 academic year, with a majority coming from club teams joining NIRSA or the NCFA. Please note that this list is subject to change as more teams launch or additional moves are announced. Schools elevating a club team to varsity status are listed in the table below.