Women's Flag Football | 11/5/2025 11:52:00 AM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – Women's flag football, which has operated as a club program for the last three years, will become the newest addition to the varsity athletics program at Barry University, director of athletics Dr. Scott Smith announced, bringing the total number of NCAA-sponsored varsity sports to 23.
A search for the program's first head coach will begin immediately and the program will begin competing a varsity schedule during the 2026-27 academic year.
"I'm proud of our department for being at the forefront of this emerging sport and our commitment to providing greater access to young women who aspire to compete in collegiate athletics," Smith said.
The addition of women's flag football in The Shores strengthens the sport's growth nationwide, with at least 65 NCAA schools sponsoring women's flag football at either the club or varsity level during the 2024-25 academic year, with additional growth expected in 2025-26.
On Feb. 12, 2025, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics made a recommendation that Division I, II, and III each sponsor legislation to add flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sport for Women program. The NCAA Management Council also sponsored a Convention proposal to add flag football as an Emerging Sport for Women on April 16, 2025. That proposal will be voted on by the Division II membership at the 2026 NCAA Convention in January.
Once in the Emerging Sport program, a sport must have a minimum of 40 schools sponsoring the sport at the varsity level and meet minimum contest and participation requirements to be considered for championship status. The sport's inclusion in the 2028 Olympics has further accelerated interest, attracting more athletes and colleges each year.
When women's flag football, contested as a spring sport, begins competing in 2026-27, it will increase Barry's varsity sports offerings to 23. Although there are several NAIA schools with the sport, Barry will become the first NCAA school in the state of Florida.
According to the International Federation of American Football, 2.4 million kids under age 17 are playing organized flag football in the U.S., while millions more participate globally. Flag football has also been added as a sport in the 2028 Olympic Games hosted in Los Angeles.
About Barry University Athletics
Barry University has sponsored NCAA Division II athletics for 41 years, winning 29 national championships in eight sports, crowning 453 All-Americans in 15 sports and over 740 scholar All-Americans. Barry is a proud member of the Sunshine State Conference "The Conference of National Champions" with 113 league titles since joining in 1988-89. The Buccaneers have NCAA men's teams in soccer, cross country, basketball, swimming, baseball, golf, tennis and volleyball and women's teams in soccer, cross country, volleyball, basketball, swimming, beach volleyball, golf, rowing, softball and tennis.
