DALLAS, Texas – The American Southwest Conference is proud to announce plans for the addition of flag football as a women’s varsity sport, beginning in the 2026-27 academic year.
 
All six members of the American Southwest Conference will sponsor women’s flag football with conference play to begin as soon as permitted by the NCAA.
 
“We are excited about the addition of flag football and the opportunities it provides female student-athletes in the American Southwest Conference,” ASC Commissioner David Flores said. “We are looking forward to growing the sport as a conference and recognizing more ASC champions.”
 
Women’s flag football is rapidly expanding nationwide, providing more opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics. It is also being sponsored by the National Football League and has been added as a sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Flag Football has seen a 63% increase in participation among young women over the last five years, with more than 500,000 athletes now playing before college.
 
The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics made a recommendation to all three NCAA divisions earlier this year to sponsor legislation to add flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. The vote to add flag football to the program will take place at the NCAA Convention in January 2026. Once in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, flag football must have a minimum of 40 total schools across all divisions sponsoring the sport at the varsity level and meet the minimum contest and participation requirements to be considered for NCAA championship status.

Flag football is a non-contact sport that combines the strategy and excitement of traditional football. The sport is played with seven players on each side of an 80-yard field. Roster sizes vary between 15-20 athletes with most teams competing in the spring semester.
 
Flag football will join basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field and volleyball as a women’s varsity sport within the American Southwest Conference. In the 2026-27 academic year, the ASC will be comprised of East Texas Baptist University, Hardin-Simmons University, Howard Payne University, McMurry University, Schreiner University and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.