Union College will introduce women’s flag football as a new sport in spring 2027, positioning the Garnet Chargers at the forefront of a game growing rapidly nationwide.
“We are excited for the opportunity to add flag football as a sport,” said Jim McLaughlin '93, director of Athletics. “It’s a sport that has gained tremendous popularity, and can only help us to attract more outstanding women student-athletes to Union.”
Flag football will be the 15th women’s program at Union and the 27th overall. It is the first sport to be added since women’s golf in 2012.
While key details are still being finalized, including potential league affiliation and the recruitment of players, McLaughlin said a search for the program's first head coach will begin immediately.
“We are looking for a leader who will uphold our standards of giving women the opportunity to achieve their personal best while competing against other top athletes at colleges throughout the Northeast and across the country,” McLaughlin said.
Flag football is a no-tackling version of the classic American game that mostly follows NFL rules but substitutes tugging off a strip of material attached to a belt by Velcro for tackling the opponent.
A typical roster contains 25 players. Teams compete in a 7-on-7 format on an 80’ x 40’ field, with games consisting of four 12-minute quarters. The Garnet Chargers will play their home games at Frank Bailey Field at Bertagna-Class of 1985 Stadium.
Union’s decision to add women’s flag football comes at a time when the sport is experiencing phenomenal growth.
Nearly 50,000 girls played high school flag football in 2024-25, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Seventeen state high school athletic associations have sanctioned flag football for 2025-26, while another 18 states are engaged in independent or pilot programs.
According to the NCAA, as of spring 2025, 17 colleges and universities across the country offered varsity flag football. More than 20 additional schools have announced plans to begin competition by spring 2026.
The sport also received a recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics to become an emerging sport in February 2025, with all divisions expected to vote on adding the sport to the emerging sports for women list this January.
The NFL has launched the NFL FLAG campaign with over 2,000 youth leagues and over 800,000 youth athletes in all 50 states. Women's flag football will also make its debut in the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
Annette Diorio, vice president for Student Affairs and Dean of Students, said the addition of flag football is an opportunity to provide more women at Union the type of practical leadership and communication skills that one develops as an intercollegiate athlete.
“Our students excel in the classroom and on the playing field, and providing more women the opportunity to compete is important to us as an institution,” Diorio said. “We recognize that more and more high schools are affording young women the opportunity to participate in flag football and why should they not have that same opportunity during their collegiate career? We could not be prouder of our community for embracing this opportunity to enhance women’s athletics at Union.”
The addition of a new sport for women should provide a boost to enrollment efforts. Jason Nevinger, interim vice president for Admissions, Financial Aid and Enrollment, said his staff is already compiling a list of high schools with sanctioned women's flag football teams. Admissions will directly message the school counselor and athletic director of these schools with the announcement.
“With the nationwide rise in the popularity of women’s flag football and the growing number of high school teams across the country, adding a women’s varsity team at Union represents an exciting opportunity for us to recruit future female student-athletes and build upon our rich history of athletic success,” he said.
Jillian Willis ’28 played flag football in high school. A forward on the women’s hockey team, she said adding the sport supports gender equity by providing new athletic opportunities for women.
“It will also enhance student life by attracting more participants, boosting school spirit, and offering a fun, competitive option that bridges varsity and intramural athletics,” said Willis, an economics major from South Glens Falls, N.Y.
“Adding flag football will strengthen Union’s athletic community and position the college as part of a growing national movement.”