Union College Adds Women’s Flag Football Program Spring 2027 for NCAA Emerging Sport
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Kick off game-day morning with a “two-minute gear touchdown”—have players line up, check one item at a time (flags, cleats, mouthguard) and high-five when it’s good to go; you’ll catch missing socks, lock in focus, and still make it to kickoff on time (with a smile).
Postgame Parents: Next time you’re waiting for coffee to brew, ask your flag footballer to scan for defensive “stacks”—if mugs are bunched left they shout “stack left,” if spread they shout “split right.” Mastering those pre-snap reads anywhere turns them into a field general faster than your espresso machine can hiss.
Players Snap: Tie a neon bandana to your gear bag so you can spot your stuff in a sea of backpacks—no scrambling for your flags five minutes before kickoff.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 Union College adds women’s flag football program
Union College will launch a women’s flag football program in spring 2027 as its 15th varsity women’s sport and first addition since 2012, with the Garnet Chargers hosting NFL‐rule 7-on-7 games at Frank Bailey Field. The decision taps into a nationwide surge—nearly 50,000 high school girls played flag football in 2024-25—and supports gender equity as the NCAA eyes flag football for emerging sports status.
“It’s a sport that has gained tremendous popularity, and can only help us to attract more outstanding women student-athletes to Union.”
🌍 Regional Roundup
Lee’s Summit, Missouri: Lee’s Summit West girls flag football players met Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Cole Christiansen through the NFL’s “Salute to Service” initiative, combining military appreciation with the sport’s rapid growth among high school girls.
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National: Football ‘N’ America, the youth flag football league co-founded by Drew Brees, was acquired by private-equity backed Unrivaled Sports to expand grassroots programs and infrastructure nationwide ahead of flag football’s Olympic debut in 2028.
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⭐ Player Spotlight
Iwata Chihiro – Quarterback, Japan women’s national team & Kansas Wesleyan University. The 21-year-old world bronze medallist has transformed from a shy introvert into a leading figure in global flag football, earning a scholarship to Kansas Wesleyan University. She’s now poised to spearhead Japan’s title defence at the 2025 IFAF Asia-Oceania Championships as the sport moves towards its Olympic debut in LA28.
“Flag football is a space where I can express myself,” says Iwata Chihiro.
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 Northeast Collegiate Expansion
Union College will launch its 15th women’s program and first new women’s sport since 2012 with a women’s flag football team in spring 2027, opening 25 roster spots and a search for a head coach. The team will compete at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium, aimed at attracting top women student-athletes across the Northeast.
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🔥 National League Partnership
Football ‘N’ America, co-founded by NFL legend Drew Brees, is joining Unrivaled Sports—backed by Josh Harris and David Blitzer—bringing four major youth flag leagues together under one umbrella and positioning the sport for Olympic debut in 2028. The partnership will leverage Brees’s ongoing involvement to drive standardized growth and engagement among the 2.4 million kids playing flag football in the U.S.
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🔥 High School Program Surge
Lee’s Summit West girls flag football players connected with Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Cole Christiansen in a Military Appreciation event that highlighted the rapid expansion of girls high school flag football and the Chiefs’ community support. This visit underscores NFL team engagement and the sport’s growing footprint in secondary-school athletics.
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⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
M-A Bears end Carlmont’s three-season perfect league run with a 19-18 overtime interception to clinch their first-ever league championship.
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Top-seeded The Classical Academy and defending state champion Mountain View each rallied in the fourth quarter to advance to Saturday’s Class 4A Colorado state flag football title game.
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Undefeated Austin High (9-0) and one-loss Decatur (10-1) occupy Nos. 7 and 8 in AL.com’s Class 6A/7A girls flag football poll, fueled by sophomore Autumn Cassidy’s 1,494 passing yards and 44 total touchdowns.
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Wallace State improved to 12-0 with a 48-0 shutout of Bishop State as QB Emma Kile threw three TDs and Mariah Ragland intercepted three passes.
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USA TODAY’s Week 8 Super 25 girls flag football rankings headlined by unbeaten Hamilton at No. 1, while Illinois champ Maine South rockets into the top 5 after its first state title.
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The Mountain View Toros rebounded from a loss with a 39-0 rout of Mesa behind five touchdowns from QB Tiera Metcalf and a pick-six by Eve Denton.
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Edison’s defense pitched a shutout and senior Katelyn Chantha’s 42-yard TD run delivered a historic 6-0 upset over Newport Harbor in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs.
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🏁 Final Whistle
“I never left the field saying I could have done more to get ready and that gives me peace of mind.”
— Peyton Manning
