Big South Becomes First D-I Conference to Sponsor Women's Flag Football

The Big South Conference has officially approved the addition of women's flag football beginning with the 2027-28 academic year, the conference announced on Thursday. The decision, approved by the Big South Council of Chief Executive Officers, makes the conference the first Division I multi-sport league to sponsor the sport and positions it at the leading edge of a nationwide push to bring flag football into the collegiate mainstream. Women's flag football will become the Big South's 19th sponsored sport.

"Women's Flag Football represents more than just a new addition to our sport offerings," Big South Commissioner Sherika A. Montgomery said in a statement. "The Big South Conference is proud to be at the forefront of this growth, providing a competitive platform for student-athletes to excel while helping shape the future of the game across our region and beyond."

Five Schools, One Conference

Five Big South member institutions have committed to launching women's flag football programs: Charleston Southern University, Gardner-Webb University, Radford University, UNC Asheville, and USC Upstate. Each school has received startup support from the National Football League to build out its program, covering early-stage infrastructure and development needs.

For the 2026-27 academic year, the Big South will feature a mix of club- and varsity-level sponsorship as programs ramp up. The conference intends for all participating institutions to compete at the varsity level by 2027-28, with the inaugural Big South Women's Flag Football Championship scheduled for the spring of 2028. Additional full-member participation and regional affiliate membership are expected in the months ahead as interest continues to grow across the conference's footprint.

A Defining Moment

Montgomery described the vote as the culmination of sustained institutional momentum. "Our institutions have remained committed to expanding opportunities for student-athletes while aligning with forward-thinking institutional priorities," she said. "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."

The commissioner also credited external partners for accelerating the timeline. "We also extend immense appreciation to the NFL and RCX Sports, as their unwavering commitment, expertise, and passion for growing the game have been instrumental in bringing this vision to life," Montgomery continued. "Through their leadership in education, program development, and national implementation, they have helped establish a strong foundation for sustained success."

The Emerging Sport Pipeline

The Big South's announcement follows flag football's addition to the NCAA's Emerging Sports for Women program on January 16, 2026. Under that designation, the sport becomes eligible to pursue championship status once at least 40 schools sponsor it at the varsity level and meet minimum contest and participation requirements. The sport is already well on its way: more than 60 colleges were expected to field varsity programs by spring 2026, with projections pushing toward 100 programs by 2028.

The timing aligns with flag football's Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, a milestone that has supercharged investment and visibility at every level. At the high school level, nearly 69,000 girls competed in flag football during the 2024-25 school year across more than 2,700 schools nationwide, with participation climbing roughly 388 percent since the first post-pandemic survey. More than 40 states now sponsor or run pilot programs for high school girls' flag football.

The Big South Conference office will begin planning for regional competitions, a conference invitational, and additional sport sponsorship logistics to build a competitive foundation ahead of the 2027-28 launch.