Women's flag football is on track to gaining NCAA championship status. If all goes according to plan, a title game may even take place right before the sport makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 LA Games.
The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact voted Tuesday to recommend that Divisions I, II and III add a national collegiate flag football championship as soon as the spring of 2028.
Although not official yet, it's a giant step toward NCAA championship inclusion for women's flag football. In order to be recommended, 40 schools need to sponsor it at the varsity level. More than 100 schools have been planning to compete during the next academic year, according to the NCAA.
“Today is a landmark day for collegiate athletics, as women’s flag football officially becomes an NCAA championship sport,” said 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."
The next steps for adding an NCAA flag football title game include each division reviewing the recommendation and sponsoring a proposal by July 1. Should that occur, the divisions will vote in January 2027, with all three divisions required to approve for a championship to be held. There would also be the formation of a committee to oversee NCAA women's flag football.
Women's flag football is looking to join a list of sports that have gained NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program. That includes rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015), wrestling (2025), acrobatics and tumbling (2026) and stunt (2026).
“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,” said Izell Reese, founder and CEO of RCX Sports, the official operator of NFL FLAG. "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.”
Jacqie McWilliams Parker, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity, added: “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.”
The International Olympic Committee voted in 2023 to include flag football, along with cricket, baseball-softball, lacrosse and squash, on the Olympic program for Los Angeles.
The participation in flag football on the female side is skyrocketing. More than 20 states have now sanctioned it as a girls' high school varsity sport and NFL clubs voted in December 2025 to support the launch of a professional flag football league.
It's filtering down to all ages, too. The number of girls ages 6 to 12 playing flag football has increased by 283% from 2015 to 2024, according to USA Football research.
"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.”
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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