{"id":896,"date":"2026-05-20T13:06:29","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T13:06:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=896"},"modified":"2026-05-20T13:06:29","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T13:06:29","slug":"womens-flag-football-on-track-to-gain-ncaa-championship-status-before-sport-makes-its-olympic-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/raleighmovingnews.com\/?p=896","title":{"rendered":"Women\u2019s flag football on track to gain NCAA championship status before sport makes its Olympic debut"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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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. <\/p>\n

Although not official yet, it\u2019s a giant step toward NCAA championship inclusion for women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday is a landmark day for collegiate athletics, as women\u2019s flag football officially becomes an NCAA championship sport,\u201d said Marion Terenzio, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact Emerging Sport Subcommittee and president at SUNY Cobleskill. \u201cThis 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s flag football.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s 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).<\/p>\n

\u201cThe 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,\u201d said Izell Reese, founder and CEO of RCX Sports, the official operator of NFL FLAG. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to continue working alongside the NCAA, NFL and school leaders to help accelerate that growth and build sustainable pathways for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Jacqie McWilliams Parker, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity, added: \u201cGirls 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.\u201d <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

The participation in flag football on the female side is skyrocketing. More than 20 states have now sanctioned it as a girls\u2019 high school varsity sport and NFL clubs voted in December 2025 to support the launch of a professional flag football league. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is great news for flag football,\u201d USA Football CEO Scott Hallenbeck said. \u201cGrowing the game is central to our mission, and the potential for women\u2019s flag football to have a fully recognized NCAA championship does exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n

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___<\/p>\n

AP NFL: https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/nfl<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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