Chestertown, MD – The Washington College Athletics Department is proud to announce the addition of women's flag football to its slate of varsity programs. Women's flag football will begin its club season in the 2026-2027 academic year and will begin competing at the varsity level in the spring of 2028.
By adding flag football, Washington College becomes part of a growing but still select group of NCAA institutions to offer the sport at a varsity level. Division III hosts the greatest number of participating schools for the sport after it was officially labeled as an Emerging Sport by the NCAA in January earlier this year. Earlier this May, it was announced that women's flag football has received a formal recommendation from the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact to become a championship sport. If all three divisions agree to sponsor the championship in January 2027, the first women's flag football national championship would be in spring of 2028.
Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics, Thad Moore, stated, "One of the pillars of the Athletic Department's strategic plan is expanding programs that align with the department's goals and mission. With women's flag football recently announced as an Olympic sport for the 2028 Games and the NCAA Division III designation of the sport as an emerging sport, adding this varsity program is a natural fit for Washington College."
The decision to elevate women's flag football to the varsity level comes soon after the MPSSAA, Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association, sanctioned girl's flag football as a Championship Sport. By offering flag football at the varsity level, Washington College becomes one of the few institutions in Maryland to provide collegiate opportunities in the sport, creating a pathway for student-athletes who played in high school and wish to continue competing while staying in-state.
"As opportunities for girls and women to compete in this sport continue to grow nationwide, we're thrilled to welcome these student-athletes to Goose Nation, a place they can achieve excellence and growth on the field and off," expressed Vice President for Student Affairs, Sarah Feyerherm.
Moore and Washington College are confident that it will successfully recruit and field a competitive team while creating another valuable opportunity for future Shorewomen.
If you are a prospective student-athlete interested in learning more about Women's Flag Football at Washington College, please reach out to Jack Despeaux at jdespeaux2@washcoll.edu.
