Colleges Adding Women's Flag Football in 2026-27 and 2027-28
113 colleges started varsity women's flag football in 2026-27, and 12 more started a club, as of October 16, 2026.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2027-28) and Dawson Community College (2027-28) have announced a later first season. 12 new clubs are listed by one source only and marked Unconfirmed. 15 of the new varsity teams moved up from a club.
Updated
2026-27.137 new programs.
NCAA Division I13Every NCAA D-I team →
NCAA Division II27Every NCAA D-II team →
NCAA Division III36Every NCAA D-III team →
NAIA18Every NAIA team →
NJCAA (junior college)17Every NJCAA team →
Unconfirmedlisted by one source, not yet confirmed by the school.
Other associations (CCCAA, USCAA, NCCAA)3
| School | City | Type | Conference | First season | Athletic scholarships | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citrus College | Glendora, CA | Varsity | None listed | 2026-27 | None | citrusowls.com |
| Five Towns College | Dix Hills, NY | Varsity | NACIA | 2026-27 | Varies | athletics.ftc.edu |
| Grace University (CA) | Pomona, CA | Varsity | None listed | 2026-27 | Varies | graceuathletics.com |
Club (most play NIRSA)23Every Club team →
Unconfirmedlisted by one source, not yet confirmed by the school.
2027-28.2 new programs.
NCAA Division I1Every NCAA D-I team →
| School | City | Type | Conference | First season | Athletic scholarships | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cal Poly San Luis Obispo | San Luis Obispo, CA | Varsity from 2027-28 | None listed | 2027-28, club from 2025-26 | Allowed | gopoly.com |
NJCAA (junior college)1Every NJCAA team →
| School | City | Type | Conference | First season | Athletic scholarships | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Community College | Glendive, MT | Varsity from 2027-28 | None listed | 2027-28 | Varies | rangerreview.com |
Where each body stands.Dated and sourced.
NCAA
- The NCAA Division I Board set a 25-player women's flag football roster limit for House settlement schools, effective 2027-28. Source
- An NCAA committee recommended a national collegiate flag football championship. The divisions vote in January 2027, and the first title is projected for spring 2028. Source
- All three NCAA divisions approved flag football for the Emerging Sports for Women program, effective immediately: Division II voted 300 to 1 and Division III 447 to 1. Source
- The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics recommended that all three divisions add flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program. Source
NAIA
- The first NAIA women's flag football national championship is set for May 5 to 8, 2027, with a 12-team bracket. Source
- The NAIA made women's flag football its 30th championship sport, starting in 2026-27, with about 60 schools expected to sponsor it. Source
- Warner (Fla.) beat Keiser (Fla.) 13 to 6 at IMG Academy to win the first NAIA women's flag football invitational. Source
- Ten programs played the first NAIA women's flag football finals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and Ottawa (Kan.) won the title. Source
NJCAA
Conference and program moves
- The Division I Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference added women's flag football as a championship sport from 2026-27. Source
- Eight Division I programs played the first national collegiate flag football classic for Division I teams, at Arizona State. Source
- The Big South became the first Division I multi-sport conference to sponsor women's flag football, from 2027-28. Source
- Nebraska added women's flag football as a varsity sport the day the NCAA approved emerging sport status. Source
- The NAIA's Heart of America Athletic Conference made women's flag football a championship sport from spring 2027. Source
- The NAIA's Southern States Athletic Conference added women's flag football as a championship sport for 2026-27. Source
- A $1 million foundation grant, with the New York Jets, launched the ECAC women's flag football league for spring 2026. Source
- The Division III Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference added the sport for 2026-27, with its first championship in spring 2027. Source
- All six American Southwest Conference members committed to sponsor women's flag football from 2026-27. Source
Your questions.Straight answers.
Which levels added the most women's flag football teams in 2026-27?
The new varsity teams split by level, most first. NCAA D-III (36), NCAA D-II (27), NAIA (18), NJCAA (16), NCAA D-I (13) and Other (3).
Which colleges are adding women's flag football in 2027-28?
On the list so far: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (NCAA D-I) and Dawson Community College (NJCAA). A school joins this list when it announces, with the announcement as its source.
What changed in women's college flag football since 2025-26 began?
Conference and program moves, newest first: MEAC adds a championship; Fiesta Bowl Flag Football Classic; Big South: first D-I conference; Nebraska adds a varsity team; Heart of America adds a championship. Each is dated with its source above.
Do club teams become varsity programs?
Often. North Carolina Central University, Barry University, Bowie State University, Claflin University, Johnson C. Smith University and 10 more played as a club before their first varsity season in 2026-27.
How do I find a new program near me?
Start with your state. Open its page from the national tracker, or check where girls' high school flag football stands in your state to see the pipeline those colleges recruit from.
Know a program we missed? Send us the source.
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