Women's flag football is entering a new era at the Division I level. What once felt like a future conversation is becoming reality. Division I programs are hiring coaches, building rosters, signing some of the biggest names in the sport and, in Nebraska's case, moving their timeline forward to get on the field even sooner. Two programs in particular have captured the attention of the flag football community: Nebraska and Cal Poly. Nebraska is bringing the sport into the Power Four conversation and moving quickly toward competition, while Cal Poly is building an inaugural roster featuring proven stars from the highest levels of the game. Together, they are showing athletes, coaches and universities across the country exactly where Division I flag football is headed.
Nebraska Moves Its Inaugural Season Up
Nebraska made history when it became the first Power Four school to announce women's flag football as a varsity sport. Now, the Huskers are moving even faster. Nebraska has announced that its inaugural competitive season will begin in spring 2027, moving the program's debut up from its original spring 2028 timeline. They are investing in coaches, recruiting athletes and building the foundation of a program that could help shape the future of the sport. Nebraska has already made another major statement with its recruiting efforts, including the addition of London Jenkins, one of the recognizable names in the flag football world. Jenkins has competed at the highest levels of the game and has been part of the USA Football national team pipeline. She was listed on USA Football's 2026 women's national team roster pool and has established herself as one of the athletes helping raise the profile of women's flag football. For Nebraska, adding athletes with high-level experience is an important part of building a competitive program from day one.
Cal Poly Is Signing Some of the Biggest Names in Flag Football
While Nebraska is building momentum in the Midwest, Cal Poly is making major noise on the West Coast. Cal Poly's inaugural Division I women's flag football program has already attracted two of the biggest names in the sport: Ashlea Klam and Maci Joncich. Both athletes were named to the USA Women's Flag Football National Team and joined Cal Poly as part of the program's first recruiting class. Klam arrives at Cal Poly after an accomplished career at Keiser University, where she was a standout multi-position athlete. She has also been a consistent presence with Team USA and was named the 2026 NAIA Women's Flag Football Player of the Year. Joncich brings another major name to the Mustangs' roster. A quarterback and receiver, Joncich previously competed at the University of Florida and helped the Gators win national club championships. She also made history by becoming the youngest athlete to join the senior USA Women's National Team when she was 17 years old. Now, both Klam and Joncich are headed to Cal Poly to help build one of the first true Division I varsity flag football programs in the country. That is a major development for college recruiting.
Division I Schools With Varsity Flag Football Programs
The Division I landscape is continuing to change rapidly. Based on the latest college flag football reporting, schools competing or preparing to compete at the varsity Division I level include:
Current and Near-Term Division I Programs
- Alabama State University
- Cal Poly
- Delaware State University
- Eastern Michigan University
- Fairleigh Dickinson University
- Gardner-Webb University
- Long Island University
- Manhattan University
- Maryland Eastern Shore
- Mercyhurst University
- Mississippi Valley State University
- Mount St. Mary's University
- University of Nebraska
- Norfolk State University
- University of North Alabama
- North Carolina Central University
- University of South Carolina Upstate
- University of Texas at Arlington
The New Flag Football Recruiting Era
This may be one of the most important parts of the growth happening right now. For years, flag football athletes have had to search for opportunities at the college level. Today, more programs are actively searching for them. The emergence of Nebraska, Cal Poly and other Division I schools means recruiting is becoming more competitive. Programs are evaluating athletes from high school leagues, club teams, national tournaments and international competition. The athletes signing today are not simply joining new teams. They are becoming the foundation of Division I flag football. Making sure high school athletes are taking advantage of this new wave is important. Documenting athletes game footage, combine results, academic standings and GPA has become more important that ever. Companies like ScoutSMART have emerged on the flag football scene to help young athletes get recruited by college programs.