Eckerd College Athletics announced Sept. 10 plans to add women’s flag football as the College’s 19th varsity sport. The Eckerd College program is set to begin competition in spring 2028, and a national search for its inaugural head coach will begin immediately. Eckerd will be the first intercollegiate flag football team in Pinellas County and the third flag football team in the Sunshine State Conference.
More than 100 high schools in the Tampa Bay region host a varsity flag football team. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hosted the Florida High School Athletics Association Championships for four years, drawing the sport’s best players to Eckerd’s backyard annually.
Eckerd leaders cite growth of women’s flag football
“We are incredibly excited to bring women’s flag football to Eckerd College,” said Eckerd President Jim Annarelli. “This is an opportunity for Eckerd to be at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sports in the country while continuing to expand opportunities for female student-athletes. We are eager to build a program that represents Eckerd at a high level and establishes a strong foundation for the future.”
Eckerd College Director of Athletics Tom Ryan ’87 said the program will give the College an opportunity to help shape flag football’s development at the conference and national levels. “Adding women’s flag football provides Eckerd with an opportunity to be a pioneer in the growth of the sport at both the conference and national levels,” said Ryan. “There is tremendous momentum surrounding flag football, and we are excited to help shape its future while creating another opportunity for female student-athletes to compete at the collegiate level.”
Women’s flag football gains national momentum
Women’s flag football was added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in January 2026. The sport is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. The NCAA has recommended creating a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship, with the first championship potentially taking place in spring 2028.
Eckerd’s women’s flag football program is scheduled to begin competition in spring 2028. The national search for the program’s inaugural head coach will begin immediately.
Source: Original report