NCAA takes big step toward adding flag football as championship sport by 2028
Formal approval of the sport by each of the three NCAA divisions is expected in 2027
The NCAA took a key step towards adding flag football as an official championship sport on Tuesday, as a key committee formally endorsed sponsoring the sport. If approved, the first national championship could be held as soon as spring 2028.
The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact formally voted to recommend integration of the sport at its spring meeting. To receive official approval, Divisions I, II and III will all have to individually sponsor legislation to add a championship at each of their levels. It will be formally discussed at the 2026 NCAA Convention this summer.
RCX Sports and USA Football formally petitioned for flag football to join the Emerging Sports for Women program earlier this year.
"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 of RCX Sports. "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."
Each of the three divisions of the NCAA are expected to sponsor a proposal by July 1, which would then be up for a formal vote in January 2027. All three divisions have to approve the addition for it to formally become an NCAA sport. Then, it would pave the way for flag football to be sponsored during the next school year (2027-28). Additionally, funding would have to be approved by various NCAA financial committees.
Flag football has quickly become one of the fastest-growing sports in America over the past few years. The sport has experienced 60% year-over-year growth at the high school level. The timing of this growth is little coincidence as men's and women's flag football prepares to become an Olympic sport in during the 2028 Summer Games, held in Los Angeles.
The Big 12 is the first major conference to explore adding women's flag football as an official varsity sport, with at least six member schools expressing interest in adding teams by 2028. The Big South became the first Division I conference to officially sponsor the sport. Nebraska is the first major school to formally add the sport.
"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," NCAA president Charlie Baker said. "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."
