CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Big South will be the first NCAA Division I conference to sponsor women’s flag football when the league adds that as its 19th sport starting with the 2027-28 school year.
Big South commissioner Sherika A. Montgomery said this week that the sport had been approved by the league’s council of chief executive officers. The NCAA added flag football to its emerging sports for women program in January.
“With five full-time members formally stepping forward to launch women’s flag football programs, the momentum reached a defining moment — opening the door for the Big South to lead and elevate one of the fastest-growing sports in the country,” Montgomery said in a release.
Those Big South members are Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Radford, UNC Asheville and USC Upstate, which have received support from the NFL launching their programs. The Big South will have a mix of club and varsity-level sponsorship for women’s flag football in 2026-27, with a plan for the league’s first varsity championship to be awarded in spring 2028.
Flag football for men and women will make its Olympic debut in 2028 at the Los Angeles Games, and it’s one of the fastest-growing sports at the youth, high school and collegiate levels.