UW-Oshkosh Women’s Flag Football Debut 2026 Boosts NCAA Emerging Sports Growth
✨ Coach, Parents & Player Tips
Coach’s Clipboard: Start practice by having each player pick a one-word team value—post them on the board and challenge everyone to call out when they see that value in action, so your squad becomes self-policing faster than you can say “fumble recovery!”
Postgame Parents: Tuck a mini dry-erase board and marker into their bag so on game day you can sketch one last go-to play together—nothing beats turning jitters into excitement, plus you’ll finally get to flaunt those elementary-school doodle skills!
Players Snap: Write your top three plays on flashcards and run through them before bed—wake up knowing your offense better than your alarm tone.
🔎 Feature Story
🏅 UW-Oshkosh Adds Flag Football to Varsity Offerings
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh will launch women’s flag football as its 21st varsity sport in spring 2026, aligning with the NCAA’s Emerging Sports for Women initiative and joining 16 colleges nationwide offering the program. As high school participation skyrockets and the sport gears up for its 2028 Olympic debut, UW-Oshkosh’s move underscores the growing national momentum and expands competitive pathways for female student-athletes.
“Women’s flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country and we are thrilled that UW-Oshkosh is at the forefront of this movement in Division III athletics,” said UW-Oshkosh Assistant Chancellor, Athletics, Darryl Sims.
🌍 Regional Roundup
Wichita, Kan.: Maize High School and seven other Wichita Public Schools have introduced a historic inaugural girls’ high school flag football league, backed financially by the Kansas City Chiefs, with official games set to begin next week after a kickoff jamboree.
🔗 Read More
Ontario: Football Ontario is launching a new CLUB Flag League in September 2025 offering U14, U16, and U18 divisions to extend elite-level competition, align with provincial and national pathways, and support coach and official development across the province.
🔗 Read More
Ramona, Calif.: In its second season of girls’ high school flag football, San Diego County’s programs have grown to 79 teams countywide while coaches adapt to 15 new national rule changes affecting defense alignment, quarterback timing, and blocking regulations.
🔗 Read More
Missoula, Mont.: Three Missoula high schools—Big Sky, Hellgate, and Sentinel—are among 28 statewide to add girls’ flag football this fall thanks to grants from the Blank Family Foundation and Atlanta Falcons, with teams preparing for a jamboree in Kalispell at month’s end.
🔗 Read More
⭐ Player Spotlight
Kaelie Tomalak – Quarterback/Receiver, St. Charles North. She sparked the North Stars’ historic 31-0 victory with 77 passing yards, two touchdowns, six catches for 95 yards and even snagged an interception on defense, leading her team in the program’s first IHSA-sanctioned win.
“It’s history,” Tomalak said. “It’s awesome to know there will be girls playing years from now who will think about this game. I love being with my team and we’re all supportive of each other.”
📈 Flag Growth Focus
🔥 🎓 Women’s Collegiate Kickoff
Bryant & Stratton College has named Alaina Lange as the inaugural head coach for its first-ever women’s flag football program, set to launch in the 2025–26 season. Lange brings over a decade of championship-building experience to the Bobcats, marking a significant expansion in collegiate flag football opportunities for women.
🔗 Read More
🔥 🏟️ Cincinnati Girls’ Flag Surge
Girls’ flag football in Greater Cincinnati has exploded from six teams in 2024 to twenty in 2025, with 350 student-athletes competing in a Bengals-sponsored championship at Paycor Stadium. This rapid growth, highlighted in UC Health’s injury-prevention guide, underscores the institutional support fueling youth and high school flag football expansion.
🔗 Read More
🔥 📣 NFL Flag Football PR Role
The NFL is hiring a Director of Communications dedicated to its flag football initiatives, reflecting the league’s commitment to building strategic PR and media outreach for the sport’s fastest-growing variant. Based in New York with remote flexibility, the role will bolster league messaging and visibility at all levels of flag football.
🔗 Read More
⚡ FlagSnap Daily Blitz
Former NBA champion Rajon Rondo has been ranked the #1 flag football quarterback in the U.S., sparking speculation he could lead Team USA when flag football debuts at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
👉 Read Full Article
Mountain Range High School coach Duane Tyler was named Broncos High School Flag Coach of the Week after guiding the Mustangs to a 20–14 season-opening victory and expanding his program to 45 players in two years.
👉 Read Full Article
🏁 Final Whistle
“If you can’t outplay them, outwork them.”
— Ben Hogan
