Women’s Flag Football Expands Across NCAA, High Schools in Northeast

Women’s flag football is rapidly expanding at the collegiate and high school levels across the United States. Old Westbury College is launching its inaugural women’s flag football team at the club level in 2026, with plans to move to varsity in 2027, capitalizing on the sport's growing popularity in Long Island high schools. Albright College will add women’s flag football as a varsity sport starting in spring 2027, joining at least 65 NCAA schools that currently sponsor the sport at club or varsity levels, with the Atlantic East Conference pioneering the first NCAA women’s flag football season. The sport features seven players per side on an 80-yard field, with scoring and extra points based on yards gained rather than kicking. Meanwhile, the Tamalpais Union High School District in California has accelerated its girls flag football program, deciding to launch a team at Redwood High School this fall after previously delaying it to 2026, following community advocacy and Title IX considerations. These developments reflect the growing institutional support and increasing opportunities for female athletes in women’s flag football nationwide.