Durham, North Carolina –
Established in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) holds the distinction of being the oldest athletics conference among Black colleges and universities.
Recently, the CIAA gathered its teams at a hotel in the North Carolina Research Triangle for Media Day, which was an occasion to preview the upcoming football season and celebrate the return of the conference championship game to Durham after a ten-year hiatus. The event was hosted at the Durham County Memorial Stadium as part of a three-year agreement with the Durham Sports Commission.
Despite the excitement surrounding football, Jacqie McWilliams-Parker, now in her 13th year as CIAA commissioner, harbors a deep passion for another form of the game: women’s flag football.
Back in October, the CIAA, working alongside the NFL and RCX Sports, announced that the Women’s Flag Football League would commence in the spring of 2025. Out of the conference’s 12 members, eight initiated club teams. Instead of a full season, they competed in a championship tournament in Charlotte last April, where Winston-Salem State clinched its inaugural championship by defeating Fayetteville State 9-6.
“Honestly, we didn’t anticipate so many schools showing interest,” McWilliams-Parker shared with SB Nation. “It was quite impressive to see how they organized themselves for events like the jamborees and tournaments at Johnson C. Smith.”
The CIAA is now working on the next steps for women’s flag football. McWilliams-Parker mentioned the possibility of member schools participating again as club sports this spring in another jamboree. The ultimate aim is to elevate the sport to varsity status with a full season schedule.
“I plan to play again this spring,” McWilliams-Parker stated. “Everyone’s considering the budget. We’ve managed to raise funds, so we are optimistic about hosting this jamboree again. There seems to be a real commitment from our institutions. The women are excited.”
In February, women’s flag football made significant progress, with the NCAA recommending it for inclusion in its Emerging Sports for Women program. McWilliams-Parker tied this development to her plans to participate in the upcoming NCAA convention in January 2026. Since the program started in 1994, it has been instrumental in promoting several sports—like rowing, ice hockey, and water polo—to varsity status. Additionally, the NCAA is set to host its first official championship for women’s wrestling this winter.
Following the recommendation, a few Division I institutions, such as Mount St. Mary, Arlington, Utah, and Alabama, announced intentions to introduce varsity programs. This occurs within the context of HBCUs participating in the SWAC. Recently, Division III America East completed a full varsity season, culminating in a conference championship.
Several more conferences are slated to launch full varsity seasons next year, including Empire 8 (D3), Conference Carolina (D2), and United East (D3). Last week, two additional schools, Allegheny College and Westminster College, declared they would add varsity women’s flag football teams, both at the Division III level.
The CIAA aims to stay on track.
“Once it becomes an official NCAA sport, it will likely be recognized as a varsity offering in our conference,” McWilliams-Parker noted. “Currently, it’s classified as club sports for us as we try to gauge interest.”
“I hope that by 2026 or 2027, it will transition into a varsity sport, allowing for a dedicated season and proper scheduling.”
McWilliams-Parker has shared that the NFL has engaged with all four NCAA HBCU conferences, which also include Division II SIAC and Division I MEAC and SWAC. With flag football poised to debut at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, the sport is gaining traction at both high school and college levels, aided by support from the NFL.
“We had discussions about flag football even before it gained traction,” McWilliams-Parker said. “As we consider funding, we aim to expand sports offerings without jeopardizing existing programs. I’m hopeful for increased funding this year, and the school seems committed to providing that platform. It has great implications for gender equity, and we wish to actively participate.”
As the first woman to hold the CIAA commissioner role, McWilliams-Parker, a graduate of Hampton University, expresses hopes that as women’s flag football evolves in her conferences and nationwide, HBCUs can collaborate on scheduling.
“If we can figure out a way to organize HBCU flag football tournaments, that could be a lot of fun. I’m optimistic we’ll meet this summer to strategize about sports and collaboration opportunities,” she concluded.
