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When NCAA announced that women’s flag football had received a formal recommendation to become a championship sport, the reaction was an open-mouthed stare.
Wait, people were saying. Wasn’t it just added to the Emerging Sports for Women program?
Why, yes, it was. And as it turned out, it took the fast track — clearing the hurdles even more quickly than another incredibly popular women’s sport: beach volleyball.
“Flag is actually moving faster than beach volleyball did,” stated Gail Dent, Associate Director of External Communications for NCAA.
In fact, it was literally right after the turn of the new year that flag football was added to the list of Emerging Sports for Women.
Let’s just say flag (whose application to join the emerging sports program was submitted to NCAA by RCX Sports and USA Football) kicked some sand into the faces of doubters on its way.
“Flag reached the 40 minimum sponsorship level very quickly, which points to the growing interest in the sport,” said Dent. “It still resides in the emerging program until it reaches championship status, and we hope to celebrate it as another new championship in January 2027.”
If legislation is approved by all three of NCAA’s divisions, the first championship in women’s flag football could be held in spring 2028.
Propelled by Explosive High School Play
Dr. Karissa Niehoff, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) told SDM back in 2023 her prediction: that the strength of girls’ flag football in high school was driving growth at the college level.
“Girls are definitely voting with their feet,” Niehoff stated.
That prediction came true. Growth hasn’t slowed, either; states continue to sanction high school championships in the sport.
According to Coach & Athletic Director Magazine, a total of 22 states and Washington, D.C. had sanctioned girls flag football at the high school level; in many cases, some play had begun at the high school before the year of official sanctioning:
- Alabama (2023)
- Alaska (2024)
- Arizona (2022)
- California (2023)
- Colorado (2024)
- District of Columbia (2026)
- Florida (2003)
- Georgia (2019)
- Hawaii (2024)
- Illinois (2024)
- Kansas (2026)
- Kentucky (2026)
- Maryland (2026)
- Mississippi (2025)
- Nevada (2016)
- New Jersey (2026)
- New York (2023)
- North Carolina (2026)
- Ohio (2025)
- Pennsylvania (2024)
- Tennessee (2025)
- Washington (2025)
- Washington, D.C. (2025)
According to the 2024-25 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, a total of 68,847 girls participated in flag football in 2,736 schools nationwide. (The new survey, covering this past school year, is expected late this summer.)
And as those high school girls look at colleges, it’s easy to guess what programs they’ll be seeking out. The championship status of the sport at the NCAA level will serve as a validation.
"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," said Jacqie McWilliams Parker, chair of the Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association commissioner. "The young women who are currently playing at our institutions, some never even thought about being able to play in college. Now they have their opportunity. As we hit the next steps to becoming an NCAA championship, I'm excited we're providing access and opportunity."
Flag football's growth is part of a broader trend across college athletics. Based on NCAA sports sponsorship and participation rates data, nearly 7,000 student-athletes participated in emerging sports in 2024-25, a 24% increase from 2023-24.
Opportunities for all student-athletes continue to increase, with more than 554,000 student-athletes participating in NCAA sports in 2024-25, up more than 15,000 from the previous year.
The movement of flag football toward becoming an NCAA championship sport comes two years ahead of its debut at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
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