UT Arlington President Dr. Jennifer Cowley officially announced today the addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport, marking a historic first for NCAA Division I programs in Texas. The team will begin competition in Spring 2027.
“We are thrilled to be Texas’ first NCAA Division I school to offer varsity flag football for women,” said Dr. Cowley. “With the sport growing and our ISD partners expanding their programs—and with the 2028 Olympics on the horizon—we believe this is the right time to create a pathway for future Olympic athletes.”
UTA joins just four other Division I schools nationwide offering the sport: Alabama State, Long Island University, Mercyhurst, and Mount St. Mary’s. Within Texas, UTA becomes the third school at any level to add flag football, alongside Concordia and Texas Wesleyan.
The growing popularity of women’s flag football is evident. Over 50 colleges and universities across the NAIA and all NCAA divisions now offer it as a varsity sport. In total, 65 NCAA institutions sponsor the sport at either the varsity or club level. The sport is set to debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“Women’s flag football is growing exponentially across the country,” said UTA Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Jon Fagg. “We expect it to be recognized soon as an NCAA emerging sport, which will drive even more growth. Ideally, we’ll be one of the first major Division I schools to build a conference around the sport.”
The new UTA program will play its home games at Maverick Stadium. Coaching staff recruitment and player signings are expected to begin later this year.
Currently, 14 states have sanctioned girls’ flag football as a varsity high school sport. Across the U.S., more than 500,000 girls aged 6–17 participate, many supported by NFL teams and affiliated programs.
This is UTA’s first sport addition since launching women’s golf in the 2017–18 season. With the introduction of flag football, the university’s total number of intercollegiate athletic programs rises to 16.
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