Another Division I school is pursuing the addition of women\u2019s flag football.<\/p>\n
In a letter to the campus community published on Friday, Cal Poly athletic director Don Oberhelman said the school could add women\u2019s flag football as a varsity sport as early as 2027.<\/p>\n
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Cal Poly is the sixth Division I school at the NCAA level to announce its intentions of starting a women\u2019s flag football team. The members of the Big West follow Alabama State, Long Island, Mercyhurst, Mount St. Mary\u2019s, and UT Arlington<\/a>.<\/p>\n Back in February, flag football made a significant stride in gaining ground in the college ranks when the NCAA recommended adding it to its Emerging Sports for Women program. Should flag football be granted status in the program at the 2026 NCAA convention, there could be a ways to go before fans see something like an NCAA Tournament for the sport.<\/p>\n Still, as flag football barrels toward its debut at the Olympics in 2028 in Los Angeles, interest in it seems to be growing at the collegiate level.<\/p>\n Nebraska AD Troy Dannen said folks should keep \u201ca close eye\u201d<\/a> on women\u2019s flag football after hosting an exhibition contest at the Husker Games in April. Last month, ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told SB Nation the conference is \u201cwatching\u201d<\/a> what\u2019s happening in flag football and the conference has had \u201ca few preliminary conversations\u201d about the sport.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n On May 9, 2024, in an email obtained by SB Nation through an open records request, NCAA Senior Vice President Felicia Martin wrote to Division I athletic directors: \u201cThe combination of flag football\u2019s Olympic recognition and its expanding popularity among youth and high school players has elevated its importance as one of NCAA President Charlie Baker\u2019s top priorities for the Association.\u201d The email included stats about the sport\u2019s growth and links to videos and a learning portal.<\/p>\n In announcing the addition of flag football at Cal Poly, Oberhelman wrote that he hopes that being early on investing in the sport and building a program quickly will allow it to \u201cembark on a legacy of success\u201d similarly to how the Mustangs have performed in beach volleyball \u201cwhich continues to pay dividends.\u201d Beach volleyball is a sport that also grew from the NCAA\u2019s Emerging Sports for Women program and now has championship status. The Mustangs have been to five NCAA Tournaments for beach volleyball and have advanced to the national semifinals in each of the past two years.<\/p>\n Cal Poly is also elevating its STUNT program from club status to a varsity sport.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth of these additions are part of the university\u2019s long-term planning to increase opportunities for female student-athletes,\u201d Oberhelman wrote. \u201cThis is particularly important as Cal Poly\u2019s female student population has increased over the last 12 years from 42 percent of enrollment to 51 percent.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n While just a handful of Division I schools have added women\u2019s football, many more have at the Division II and III levels.<\/p>\n This past season, the Division III America East held a full varsity season of women\u2019s flag football capped off with a conference championship<\/a>, becoming the first NCAA league to do so. Jacqie McWilliams-Parker \u2014 commissioner of the CIAA, the Division II HBCU conference \u2014 told SB Nation that she hopes<\/a> to have flag football as a varsity sport in the league during the 2026-27 academic year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Another Division I school is pursuing the addition of women\u2019s flag football. 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