Wilberforce Adds Varsity Flag Football, Nevada and San Diego State Add Club Teams
Wilberforce University (OH) is adding a varsity women's flag football program and will begin competing in the 2026-27 academic year. Wilberforce is one of three schools in the NAIA's HBCU Athletic Conference to offer flag football, along with Southern University at New Orleans and Stillman College (AL).
11 Ohio schools offer flag football at the club or varsity level, including Wilberforce. Baldwin Wallace University (NCAA Division III), Bowling Green State University (NCAA D-I), Defiance College (NAIA), Franciscan University (D-III), Heidelberg University (D-III), Hocking College (NJCAA), University of Mount Union (D-III), the University of Northwestern Ohio (NAIA), Ursuline College (D-II), and Wittenberg University (D-III) also have teams. Lourdes University (NAIA) was slated to add a program in 2026-27; however, the school will close at the end of the 2025-26 academic year.
The NAIA is moving flag football to an invitational sport starting for the first time in the 2026 season. The NAIA's 2026 postseason tournament will be qualification-based, with the format still to be confirmed. The next step for flag football at the NAIA level is to reach championship status, which requires at least 30 varsity teams, completion of two invitational tournaments, and approval by the National Administrative Council (NAC). It's increasingly likely that flag football will be an NAIA Championship Sport by the spring 2028 season.
In the NCAA Division I space, two more schools have added club teams: San Diego State University (CA) and the University of Nevada. Both schools are currently members of the Mountain West Conference and are the first two institutions to add a club or varsity team in the conference. San Diego State will move to the Pac-12 Conference beginning with the 2026-27 academic year and will be the first team in that conference to sponsor a club or varsity team. SDSU also named Jennifer Constuble as the team's head coach.
Nevada and San Diego State join a growing list of NCAA D-I schools to offer flag football as a club sport, which are typically student-run organizations. Over 55 NCAA D-I schools offer a club team, with more expected in the coming years after the NCAA added flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program in January. Some of today's Division I club teams will be elevated to varsity status in the future as the sport continues to grow rapidly.