NCAA moves closer to approving flag football for championship status

(WAND) - The NCAA has received a formal recommendation to become an official collegiate championship sport, with the first projected event expected to occur in Spring 2028.

During a spring meeting, the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact voted to add a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship to the athletic calendars across all 3 college divisions. The committee oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program, whose objective is to grow participation and competitive opportunities for women's athletics.

In a statement shared by the NCAA, the chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact Emerging Sport Subcommittee, Marion Terenzio says the vote is a landmark occasion. "This step recognizes a sport whose growth, competitiveness and national momentum have been impossible to ignore," Terenzio says. "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."

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 participation requirements for competition. More than 100 schools have plans to compete during the next academic year, showcasing growing demand for the game to move forward.

NFL senior vice president of global flag football, Brian Flinn, voiced his approval for the steps being taken.

""This recommendation marks a pivotal step toward a National Collegiate Championship for women's flag football and underscores the game's accelerated growth," he said. "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 NCAA says the timeline for the remaining steps required to add a flag football championship will include several steps over the next year and a half.

First, each division overseeing the decision will review the recommendations and can sponsor a proposal by July 1st, 2026. If proposals are sponsored, the divisions are expected to vote on them by January of 2027. All three divisions must approve the decision in order to establish the championship. In addition, the recommendation includes the creation of an NCAA Women's Flag Football Committee if the vote is approved.

Flag football's growth is part of a broader trend across college athletics. According to NCAA sports sponsorship and participation rate data, almost 7,000 student-athletes became involved in emerging sprots in the 2024-25 academic and athletic year, a 24% increase from the season prior.

More than 554,000 student-athletes are reportedly participating in NCAA sports as of the latest review of 2024-25, with more than 15,000 active players from 2023-24.