Women’s flag football is rapidly gaining momentum, breaking barriers and empowering female athletes across the country.
On Feb. 13, 2025, SUNY Brockport announced the addition of its 24th varsity sport, women’s flag football, marking the first new sport since Men’s Lacrosse was introduced in 2000.
Starting in the 2025–2026 season, Brockport will join SUNY Geneseo, Hartwick College, Elmira College, and Russell Sage College in the Empire 8 conference as part of this exciting new addition.
On Sept. 24, 2024, SUNY Geneseo announced that their new program would officially launch in spring 2025. SUNY Geneseo was the first in the conference to take the leap into women’s flag football.
The SUNY Brockport Athletic Director, Erik Hart, shared that the Geneseo staff had reached out to Brockport Athletics, given their close relationship.
“They contacted us to get us on board,” Hart said.
After a multi-year process of research, studying analytics, and monitoring the growth of the sport, SUNY Brockport Athletics was able to fast-track their progress and gain confidence in making their decision when the women’s flag football club team was approved for the 2024–2025 season.
“I’m excited for this sport,” Hart said, “we would not have been able to do this without having a club in place now.”
The SUNY Brockport women’s flag football club was approved by the Club Sports Executive Council (CSEC) on April 9, 2024. Now in spring 2025, the team has a roster of 22 players, and seven coaches.
Katelyn Roman, the club’s Vice President and a sophomore defensive player, had played in high school and was overwhelmed with emotions when the announcement was made that flag football would soon be a varsity sport.
“I remember exactly what I was doing, I was sitting in the break area at my work when I saw the first Instagram post,” Roman said, “I immediately started crying and screaming.”
When Roman first arrived at Brockport as a freshman, there was no flag football program, and she was devastated. However, now as a sophomore, she has found a sense of belonging with the newly added women’s flag football club team.
“The Brockport women’s flag football club team has shown me many things. It has shown me what it is like to start a new community. It has shown me how much dedication and hard work coaches truly put in to make sure you succeed,” Roman said, “I can’t stress enough how much flag football has changed my life and so many others. I have made so many new friends, some that will last a lifetime. And I am forever grateful.”
Since taking on her role as Vice President of the club, her love and passion for the sport is higher than ever.
“We are getting a chance to start a new legacy. As woman athletes, we need our voices to be heard and we can do that when with our families, our teammates, and our friends,” Roman said, “I hope that Brockport flag football can become a front runner to other colleges to get flag football implemented around the globe. Flag football is a rising sport, and many young women are so excited.”
Despite women’s flag football entering into the Empire 8 conference, it is still not an official NCAA sport, and many schools still have yet to add a club or varsity team.
Feb. 12, 2025, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics made a recommendation that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.
According to the NCAA, Flag football has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. At least 65 NCAA schools are sponsoring women’s flag football at either the club or varsity levels this year, with more slated to join in 2026. Flag football also has been added as a sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
While women’s flag football has yet to achieve championship status within the NCAA, lots of forward progress has been made. What once started as an informal, non-contact version of American football has now developed into a widely recognized sport with organized leagues, competitive events, and growing international reach; and most importantly of all, another door of opportunity has been opened for female athletes.
