Wikipedia

College flag football

College flag football is the sport of flag football played by student-athletes at colleges and universities. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) was the first college governing body in the U.S. to sanction flag football as a varsity women's sport in 2021.

College flag football
Governing body
First played2021

History

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The CONADEIP [es] began crowning a national champion in flag football in 2011.[1] The sport made its debut on the Universiada Nacional [es] programme in 2018, alongside rugby sevens and sport climbing.[2][3]

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) partnered with the National Football League (NFL) to become the first college governing body in the U.S. to sanction flag football for female student-athletes at the varsity level.[4] Ten teams took part in the inaugural NAIA tournament in the spring of 2021.[5]

On September 8, 2023, the ITESM Santa Fe Campus Borregos, led by quarterback Diana Flores, defeated the three-time defending NAIA national champion Ottawa Braves by a score of 27–6 at NRG Stadium in Houston; the historic exhibition was held as part of the Mexican College Football Showcase.[6][7]

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) added the sport in the spring of 2023.[8] The Atlantic East Conference of NCAA Division III became the first National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) conference to sponsor the sport in the spring of 2025.[9] Conference Carolinas, a member of NCAA Division II, added flag football in spring 2026.[10] Following an NCAA recommendation, all three of its divisions voted at the January 2026 NCAA convention to add flag football to the organization's Emerging Sports for Women program, effective immediately.[11] Similarly, U Sports will add women's flag football as a pilot sport beginning the 2027-28 season.[12]

Champions

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Mexico

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CONADEIP

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Universiada Nacional

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List of Universiada Nacional [es] flag football champions
Ed. Season Date Champion Score Runner-up Location Ref.
1
2018May 2, 2018UANL33–19CETYSToluca[26]
2
2019May 16, 2019UANL (2)27–7UABCMérida[27]
N/A
2020–21Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
3
2022May 27, 2022UNAM32–26CETYSCiudad Juárez[28][29]
4
2023June 14, 2023UNAM (2)38–7Anáhuac CancúnHermosillo[30]
5
2024May 25, 2024ITESM Santa Fe21–20Anáhuac CancúnAguascalientes[31][32]
6
2025June 6, 2025Anáhuac Querétaro25–6Anáhuac CancúnPuebla[33]

United States

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NAIA

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List of National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics flag football champions
Ed. Season Date Champion Score Runner-up Location Winning
head coach		 Ref.
1
2021May 8, 2021Ottawa (KS)7–6KeiserAtlanta, GALiz Sowers[34]
2
2022May 14, 2022Ottawa (KS) (2)24–20ThomasAtlanta, GALiz Sowers (2)[35]
3
2023May 20, 2023Ottawa (KS) (3)18–13ThomasAtlanta, GALiz Sowers (3)[36]
4
2024May 10, 2024Ottawa (KS) (4)21–13KeiserAtlanta, GALiz Sowers (4)[37]
5
2025May 8, 2025Ottawa (KS) (5)34–20KeiserRiverside, MOLiz Sowers (5)[38]
6
2026May 9, 2026Warner13–6KeiserBradenton, FLTim Mimbs[39]

NJCAA

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List of National Junior College Athletic Association flag football champions
Ed. Season Date Champion Score Runner-up Location Winning
head coach		 Ref.
1
2023May 20, 2023Florida Gateway20–0HesstonAtlanta, GARicky Hufty[40]
2
2024May 9, 2024Florida Gateway (2)26–13, 45–6[a]HesstonAtlanta, GARicky Hufty (2)[41]
3
2025May 8, 2025Florida Gateway (3)68–13Daytona StateKansas City, KSRicky Hufty (3)[42]
5
2026May 9, 2026Florida Gateway (4)53–13Daytona StateGlen Ellyn, ILRicky Hufty (4)[43]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ Best-of-three series

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Tabla de campeones - Flag football" (PDF) (in Spanish). CONADEIP [es]. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Tochito bandera de la BUAP inicia una nueva historia". Milenio (in Spanish). April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Futbol flag, rugby 7 y escalada deportiva, nuevos deportes en la Universiada Nacional" (in Spanish). Fundación UNAM [es]. February 26, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  4. ↑ "NAIA to sponsor women's flag football with NFL partnership". ESPN. May 4, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  5. ↑ Deighton, John (May 28, 2021). "NAIA Women's Flag Football champion emerges at Mercedes-Benz Stadium". Atlanta Falcons. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Victory for the Tec Campus Santa Fe Flag Football team in the first edition of the Mexican College Football Showcase" (Press release). ITESM. September 9, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2026 – via EIN Presswire.
  7. ↑ González, Marlene (September 9, 2023). "Mexican team wins friendly flag football match in the U.S." Conecta. ITESM. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  8. ↑ "FGC Timberwolves Win NJCAA Flag Football Championship". Florida Gateway College. May 20, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  9. ↑ Steele, Michele (March 3, 2025). "Atlantic East launches women's flag football as varsity sport". ESPN. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Conference Carolinas announces the addition of women's flag football for 2025-26" (Press release). Conference Carolinas. July 2, 2024. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  11. ↑ "NCAA to add four new championships" (Press release). NCAA. January 16, 2026. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  12. ↑ Spencer, Donna (June 3, 2026). "U Sports to introduce women's flag football as a pilot sport". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
  13. ↑ "El Equipo de Tocho Bandera Femenil es subcampeón nacional de CONADEIP" (in Spanish). Universidad Anáhuac México. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  14. ↑ "Concluyó exitosamente el nacional de Tocho Bandera de CONADEIP" (in Spanish). CONADEIP [es]. April 2, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  15. ↑ "MEMORIA CAMPEONATO NACIONAL TOCHO PRIMERA FUERZA CONADEIP, CUERNAVACA 2014" (in Spanish). CONADEIP [es]. Retrieved April 6, 2026 – via Calaméo.
  16. ↑ "Tec campus Santa Fe, campeón femenil de Tocho Bandera 2018". Conecta (in Spanish). ITESM. April 8, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  17. ↑ "UVM Monterrey y Tec Santa Fe campeones en Tocho Bandera" (in Spanish). CONADEIP [es]. April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  18. ↑ Perales, Mariana (April 11, 2019). "¡BICAMPEONAS! Borregas Santa Fe lo hacen de nuevo en tocho bandera". Conecta (in Spanish). ITESM. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  19. ↑ Cid López, Ricardo (April 28, 2020). "¡No hay para cuando! CONADEIP cancela la mayoría de sus torneos". El Sol de Puebla (in Spanish). Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Ganan plata y bronce equipos femeniles de Zorros en el Campeonato Nacional de Flag Football" (in Spanish). Centro de Enseñanza Técnica y Superior. May 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2026. [...] siendo una muy buena experiencia para todos después de una inactividad de dos años [...]
  21. ↑ Gutiérrez, Wendy (May 2, 2022). "¡Tricampeonas! Tec Santa Fe se corona en nacional de Flag Football". Conecta (in Spanish). ITESM. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  22. ↑ CONADEIP [@conadeip_mexico]; (April 2, 2023). "Pódium del Campeonato Nacional de Flag Football Femenil 2023" (in Spanish). Retrieved April 6, 2026 – via Instagram.
  23. ↑ "Tec CSF gana el Campeonato Nacional de Flag Football 2024" (in Spanish). CONADEIP [es]. April 25, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Leonas sube al podio en nacional de tocho". Crónica de Xalapa (in Spanish). April 17, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  25. ↑ Hernández, Abril (April 21, 2025). "On a roll! Santa Fe Borregos: Flag football champs two years running". Conecta. ITESM. Retrieved April 6, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Tigrillas, primeras campeonas de tochito" (in Spanish). Autonomous University of Nuevo León. May 3, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Tochito femenil UANL bicampeón en Universiada Nacional 2019" (in Spanish). Autonomous University of Nuevo León. May 16, 2019. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Cetys se queda con la plata en el Tochito de Universiada Nacional". Uniradio Informa (in Spanish). May 27, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  29. ↑ Laurent, Samantha (June 13, 2022). "Victoria dorada en la Universiada". Gaceta UNAM (in Spanish). Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  30. ↑ Maldonado, Tamara. "Pumas se erigen bicampeonas de flag football femenil en Universiada Nacional" (in Spanish). National Autonomous University of Mexico. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  31. ↑ Esparza, Lizbeth (May 25, 2024). "Llegó a su fin el Tochito Bandera en la Universiada Nacional". Agssports (in Spanish). Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  32. ↑ Diaz, Ricardo (May 29, 2024). FINAL UNIVERSIADA CONDDE AGUASCALIENTES 2024 TOCHO BANDERA TEC CSF VS ANAHUAC CANCUN 2a MITAD (in Spanish). Event occurs at 24:36. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  33. ↑ "Universiada Nacional 2025 | Resultados finales - Tochito" (in Spanish). Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla. Retrieved April 5, 2026. Click "Descargar archivo" on the upper right-hand side to download the PDF.
  34. ↑ "OU's WFLAG Football Wins National Title". Ottawa University. May 11, 2021. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  35. ↑ "Braves Repeat As Champions, Defeat Thomas 24-20". Ottawa University. May 14, 2022. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  36. ↑ "Women's Flag Captures 3rd NAIA Championship, Defeats Thomas 18-13". Ottawa University. May 20, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Women's Flag Captures Fourth Straight NAIA Flag Finals Championship". Ottawa University. May 10, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Ottawa Claims Fifth-Consecutive Banner in Flag Football Finals". National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. May 8, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
  39. ↑ "Warner (Fla.) Women's Flag Caps Perfect Campaign Over Keiser (Fla.), 13-6". NAIA. May 9, 2026. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
  40. ↑ "FGC Timberwolves Win NJCAA Flag Football Championship". Florida Gateway College. May 20, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  41. ↑ "FGC Timberwolves Win Back-to-Back NJCAA Flag Football Championships". Florida Gateway College. May 9, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  42. ↑ "Three-peat! Florida Gateway claims another Women's Flag Football title". Florida College System Activities Association. May 8, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
  43. ↑ "Florida Gateway Wins Fourth Straight Flag Football Invitational Title". NJCAA. Retrieved May 11, 2026.
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