NCAA approves funding for women’s flag football championship

The NCAA Board of Governors has approved funding to support a national championship and sport committee in women’s flag football, moving one step closer to establishing a National Collegiate Championship ahead of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The board approved an association-wide budget allocation for women’s flag football, moving oversight of the championship budget to Division I starting with the 2027-28 season.

“The Board of Governors is proud to support the continued growth of women’s flag football,” ACC Commissioner and NCAA Board of Governors Chair Jim Phillips said. “Establishing funding for a National Collegiate Championship is an important milestone that provides a pathway for future championship competition and reinforces our commitment to fostering additional growth opportunities for women in college sports.”

The NCAA noted that the funding approval marks another step in the continued growth of women’s flag football across the NCAA membership.

This January, the three divisions voted to pass resolutions to add women’s flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program, which took effect for the 2026 spring season. According to a report from Collegiate Flag Football, hours after all three divisions added the sport, the University of Nebraska announced plans to establish a varsity team, becoming the first Power 4 school to do so. Now, more than 20 D-I programs have announced intentions to launch teams by 2028.

In May, the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact recommended all three divisions sponsor legislation to add a women’s flag football championship, and this spring, the sport met the minimum sponsorship and participation thresholds required to move forward. Member schools are expected to vote on the proposals in January at the annual NCAA convention.