Women’s Flag Football is set to join the Division I athletics program in Texas.
UT Arlington announced on Thursday that it will launch the sport as a full varsity program in 2027.
This move makes the Mavericks the fifth NCAA Division I institution to commit to sponsoring the sport at the varsity level, following in the footsteps of Mount Mary, Long Island, and Alabama.
As Texas’ first Division I program to introduce sports at the varsity level, UT Arlington is also the inaugural member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). While two other Texas institutions, Concordia and Texas Wesleyan, participate in Division III, there are additional WAC programs, including Grand Canyon and Cal Baptist, where the sport is offered as a club activity.
In its announcement, UT Arlington mentioned that the flag football games will be held at Maverick Stadium, which seats 12,000 fans. The program plans to hire coaching staff and start recruiting players later this year.
This addition marks a significant milestone for UT Arlington, as it’s the first soccer-related team added in 40 years—since the men’s tackle football team was disbanded in 1985. The Mavericks last expanded their sports offerings in 2017, introducing women’s golf.
Women’s flag football is increasingly popular and recognized as one of the fastest-growing sports in college athletics. Just last month, the Division III Atlantic East Conference completed its inaugural full season of women’s flag football, culminating in a conference championship.
The sport is set to become an Olympic event in Los Angeles in 2028, and the NCAA has recommended its inclusion in women’s sports programs.
Currently, around 65 schools participate in flag football at either the varsity or club level. To achieve championship status, at least 40 NCAA programs need to sponsor women’s flag football as varsity sports within the next decade, which also requires meeting specific participation and competition criteria.
Earlier this week, Radford, a Division I institution competing in the Big South Conference, announced its plans to introduce women’s flag football as a club sport this fall, with hopes of transitioning it to a varsity program in the future.
While top-tier schools have yet to add the sport at the varsity level, Nebraska’s athletic director recently noted that women’s flag football is one to watch moving forward.
