Flag football gets recommendation to join NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program

Posted by author February 13, 2025 Sports

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One of the fastest-growing sports in America could be coming to the NCAA.

On Wednesday, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics recommended that Divisions I, II, and III sponsor legislation to add to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. After the vote, all three divisions will have an opportunity to sponsor legislation to advance the sport, and the recommendation will move through the NCAA governance structures.

“The growth of flag football will be exciting to watch in the NCAA as women’s sports continue to generate more visibility and opportunities for female student-athletes to excel academically and athletically,” Ragean Hill, chair of the Committee on Women’s Athletics and executive associate athletics director at Charlotte said in a statement.

“The Committee on Women’s Athletics wants to thank RCX Sports Foundation and USA Football for submitting the application. CWA looks forward to flag football being added to the Emerging Sports for Women program and watching the sport’s exciting journey to NCAA championship status in the future.”

According to the NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates Database, a sport must have at least 40 schools sponsoring it at the varsity level and meet minimum contest and participation requirements to be considered for championship status. According to the NCAA press release, at least 65 NCAA schools are sponsoring women’s flag football at the club or varsity levels this year. More are expected to join the fold in 2026.

According to Yahoo Sports, 14 states sponsor flag football as a varsity sport. Commercials aired during the Super Bowl, and ESPN analyst Pat McAfee and the NFL pushed to expand girls’ flag football in more states. Flag football was added for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and has gained momentum as a varsity high school sport.

The Emerging Sports for Women program, established in 1994, is intended to help schools provide women with more opportunities and scholarships. Six sports have achieved NCAA championship status: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), beach volleyball (2015) and wrestling (2026).

The first women’s wrestling NCAA championship is slated for the winter of 2026 after Division I, II and III athletics moved the sport from the program to become the NCAA’s 91st championship in January. Acrobatics, tumbling, equestrian (only Divisions I and II), rugby, stunt and triathlon are five sports currently in the Emerging Sports for Women program.