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How many colleges offer flag football programs in 2024?
Jul
Flag football is becoming increasingly popular nationwide, with numerous states now officially recognizing the sport in anticipation of its debut at the 2028 Olympics.
No more need for helmets and pads in college football—flag football, that is.
With the support of the NFL, this emerging sport is being introduced at more schools nationwide, providing players of all sizes, ages, and genders a new way to play football. Instead of tackling the ball-carrier to stop a play, players pull flags from belts around their opponents’ waists. The non-contact nature of the sport has boosted its popularity, especially among women who have traditionally been excluded from playing tackle football at the male-dominated high school and collegiate levels.
“Tackle [football] will continue as the professional game played in the NFL and its amateur pipeline from youth through college, but flag will dominate in neighborhoods, schools, and recreational leagues around the world,” said Troy Vincent Sr., NFL executive vice president of football operations. “It’s happening in front of our eyes.”
Flag football will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, as announced in October. Future flag football Olympians will begin their journey in the sport at the youth, high school, and college levels.
Is flag football recognized as an NCAA sport?
The Atlantic East Conference, in collaboration with the NFL and RCX Sports, became the first NCAA conference to offer varsity female flag football, with an expected start date at the varsity level in Spring 2025.
This Division III conference hosted the sport’s inaugural event in April, featuring Neumann, Marymount, Centenary, and Immaculata in the first Women’s Flag Football Championship.
“Establishing women’s flag football has been a great honor for us, and I am thrilled to provide this opportunity for female athletes nationwide,” said Atlantic East commissioner Jessica Huntley. “The growing number of high school players makes this a valuable step for our schools and demonstrates our commitment to the future growth of our athletic programs and women’s sports.”
Which colleges offer women’s flag football?
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), which announced in 2020 that women’s flag football would become a sanctioned sport within the division, had 22 schools participating during the 2023-2024 season. These schools included:
Appalachian Athletic Conference
- Milligan (Tenn.)
Gulf Coast Athletic Conference
- Talladega (Ala.)
Heart of America Athletic Conference
- Missouri Valley (Mo.)
Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference
- Baker (Kan.)
- Bethel (Kan.)
- Cottey (Mo.)
- Graceland (Iowa)
- Kansas Wesleyan (Kan.)
- Midland University (Neb.)
- Ottawa (Kan.)
- St. Mary (Kan.)
- Southwestern (Kan.)
Mid-South Conference
- Campbellsville (Ky.)
The Sun Conference
- Florida Memorial (Fla.)
- Keiser (Fla.)
- Life (Ga.)
- Point (Ga.)
- Reinhardt (Ga.)
- St. Thomas (Fla.)
- Thomas (Ga.)
- Warner (Fla.)
- Webber International (Fla.)
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), which launched its inaugural women’s flag football season in 2021, recently had six teams participating: Bryant & Stratton College (WI), Florida Gateway College, Fort Scott, Hesston, Nassau, and Pratt.
High School Varsity Flag Football
In April, Colorado became the 11th state to sanction girls’ flag football as a high school varsity sport, joining Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Nevada, Alaska, New York, Arizona, Illinois, California, and Montana.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), 17 other states are in various stages of pilot programs. Florida started flag football for girls roughly 20 years ago and now has over 360 schools and 10,000 athletes participating. With significant support from the Atlanta Falcons, Georgia had nearly 5,000 participants last year and held its state championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Alabama held its first girls’ flag football state championship in December, and Illinois will hold its first championship in October.
Per the NFHS, in 2023, about 500,000 girls aged 6-17 played flag football, marking a 63 percent increase since 2019. NFL FLAG has contributed to the sport’s growth, offering opportunities for athletes aged 4 to 17 to play. The program currently includes more than 1,600 teams and 600,000 players nationwide.
