Flag football moves toward NCAA championship status

Flag football took a big step Tuesday, receiving a formal recommendation to become an NCAA championship sport. Its first championship is projected to occur in spring 2028. 

The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact voted at its spring meeting to recommend Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship. The committee oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program, which aims to grow participation and competitive opportunities for women's sports across the NCAA.

"Girls want to play. Whenever you give access and opportunity to an easier way to play, the better the success and numbers in participation you see," said Jacqie McWilliams Parker, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association commissioner. "The young women who are currently playing at our institutions, some never even thought about being able to play in college. Now they have their opportunity. As we hit the next steps to becoming an NCAA championship, I'm excited we're providing access and opportunity."

"Today is a landmark day for collegiate athletics, as flag football officially becomes an NCAA championship sport," added Marion Terenzio, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact Emerging Sport Subcommittee and president at SUNY Cobleskill. "This step recognizes a sport whose growth, competitiveness and national momentum have been impossible to ignore. Elevating flag football to championship status affirms that progress and opens new doors for women to compete at the highest level. Today we celebrate a milestone, and we look ahead to a future of championships, rivalries and remarkable student-athletes who will define this new era."

RCX Sports and USA Football submitted the application for the sport to join the emerging sports program earlier this year. Flag football was added to the program at the 2026 NCAA Convention. 

"Women's flag football is experiencing extraordinary growth at the collegiate level, and this recommendation is another major step toward achieving NCAA championship status," said Izell Reese, founder and CEO of RCX Sports, the official operator of NFL FLAG. "The momentum behind the game reflects the passion of athletes, coaches, administrators and partners across the country who have embraced flag football and invested in creating more opportunities for female athletes. We're excited to continue working alongside the NCAA, NFL and school leaders to help accelerate that growth and build sustainable pathways for the next generation."

"This is great news for flag football," USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck said. "Growing the game is central to our mission, and the potential for women's flag football to have a fully recognized NCAA championship does exactly that. It also strengthens the talent pipeline as flag football prepares for its Olympic debut in 2028. It's going to be a massive year for flag football — the sport's debut in Los Angeles and now potentially a full NCAA championship structure in place. As the national governing body, we'll continue to work closely with the NCAA and our partners to support this growth. More young women will have the chance to play at the highest collegiate level and ultimately compete for a spot with Team USA Football."

Before the committee can make a recommendation to add a championship for an emerging sport, 40 schools must sponsor it at a varsity level and meet the sport's minimum competition and participant requirements. The sport's sponsorship numbers among NCAA schools reflect the growing demand and momentum for the game, with over 100 schools planning to compete during the next academic year.

"This recommendation marks a pivotal step toward a National Collegiate Championship for women's flag football and underscores the game's accelerated growth," said Brian Flinn, NFL senior vice president of global flag football. "With more programs coming online and alignment across all three NCAA divisions, we're seeing the structure take shape to expand opportunities for student-athletes at scale, strengthen a pathway to championship competition and ensure long-term sustainability."

The timeline for the next steps to add a flag football championship is projected as follows:

• Each division is expected to review the recommendation and potentially sponsor a proposal by July 1.
• If proposals are sponsored, the divisions are expected to vote on them in January 2027. All three divisions must approve the legislation to establish a championship.
• The recommendation also includes establishing an NCAA Women's Flag Football Committee, which would begin its work in January 2027.
• If adopted on that timeline, the first flag football championship would be in spring 2028.

"Flag football becoming an NCAA sport will not only set a pathway for greatness for other individuals, but it will also show the history that we made," said Akeylah James, a flag football student-athlete at Winston-Salem State. "We started from the ground up. Seeing it grow past the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and growing NCAA would mean a lot because future players can succeed on the path we started, and it will give them the opportunity to go further." 

Before a National Collegiate Championship can be established, funding must be approved by the appropriate financial oversight committees. If the sport is approved, flag football would join the following sports to earn NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015), wrestling (2025), acrobatics and tumbling (2026) and stunt (2026). 

The addition of flag football would build on the NCAA's commitment to the expansion of women's sports. The NCAA will hold its first acrobatics and tumbling and stunt championships during the 2026-27 school year, and the first National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships were held this past March.

Flag football's growth is part of a broader trend across college athletics. Based on NCAA sports sponsorship and participation rates data, nearly 7,000 student-athletes participated in emerging sports in 2024-25, a 24% increase from 2023-24.

Opportunities for all student-athletes continue to increase, with more than 554,000 student-athletes participating in NCAA sports in 2024-25, up more than 15,000 from the previous year.

What they're saying:

"The college-level growth in flag football has been significant — as many as 60 schools sponsoring it at the varsity level this spring — and this recommendation reflects that. With the sport headed to the 2028 Olympics, the timing couldn't be better for women who might not have had a path to compete at the college level before. That's worth celebrating."

"Flag football's rise in participation and sponsorship has been remarkable. What we are seeing at the high school and collegiate levels is a powerful signal that girls and women continue to pursue new avenues to engage in sport and competition. Reaching the milestone of 40 varsity programs demonstrates not only significant interest, but the sustainable trajectory of this sport as it moves toward the first NCAA championship in 2028."

"Flag football advancing toward NCAA championship status affirms the NCAA's commitment to creating and expanding athletics participation opportunities for women across all divisions, and its dedication to elevating women's sports to ensure more college athletes have the chance to compete, lead and excel at the highest level. Flag football is exciting, widely embraced and adaptable to campuses of all sizes, leading to meaningful educational and competitive pathways for thousands of girls and women."