Today’s Issue of the WCFFB Wire presented by scoutSMART

A Half-Million-Dollar Stage: Grand Slam of Flag Lands in LA for Super Bowl Week

The biggest purse in women's flag football history is on the way. SMAC Entertainment, Creative Artists Agency and EverWonder Studio on Oct. 13 unveiled Grand Slam of Flag, a global series for the top women's national teams. It debuts in Los Angeles in February 2027, during the week before the Super Bowl. Six teams will compete in the opener (USA, Canada, Mexico, Great Britain, Spain and China) for a $500,000 prize pool, the largest ever offered in the women's game.

Sam Rapoport is the Commissioner. A lifelong flag quarterback, she spent more than 23 years with the NFL and created the NFL Women's Forum. Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan is a founding partner. The series runs in association with IFAF and in consultation with the NFL, and it has confirmed participation from USA Football, Football Canada, Mexico's FMFA, Great Britain's BAFA, Spain's FEFA and China's CRFA. More 2027 dates and host cities are still to come.

Rapoport sent WomensCollegeFlagFootball.com a message for college players: "Today's college flag football players are tomorrow's national team stars and Olympians. Grand Slam of Flag is about ensuring those athletes have a global platform to showcase their talent year-round, compete for unprecedented prize money, and pursue their dreams well beyond the Olympic Games."

USA Football welcomed the series in a statement. CEO Scott Hallenbeck said a priority on the road to LA28 is "making sure our athletes are consistently competing against the best teams in the world." Marcel Reece, Senior Vice President of Football Strategy & Operations, was more direct: "The fastest way to get better is to compete against the best."

Iona Goes Varsity: Gaels Add Women's Flag Football as 27th Sport

Iona University is adding women's flag football as its 27th varsity sport, with competition starting in 2027-28. The Gaels will welcome their first varsity class to campus in fall 2027.

"We are incredibly excited to add women's varsity flag football to Iona's growing portfolio of Division I athletic programs," Director of Athletics Matt Glovaski said. "As one of the fastest-growing sports at the youth and high school levels, flag football presents tremendous opportunity and potential at the collegiate level." Glovaski added that with the addition of Iona's Bronxville campus, the sport is "a natural fit within our existing varsity offerings."

Iona isn't starting from scratch. Its competitive club team enters its second season in 2026-27 and will keep playing alongside the new varsity program. The move continues an athletics build-out that has added men's lacrosse, women's acrobatics and tumbling and women's golf and brought back men's and women's tennis for 2026-27. With flag football, Iona will sponsor 27 varsity sports and serve nearly 600 student-athletes. Details on the coaching staff, recruiting and the first varsity season are still to come.

Christian Brothers Hires Its Coach on Day One

Jason Sonnenfelt, Head Coach, Christian Brothers University

Christian Brothers University announced the sport and its first coach at the same time. CBU named Jason Sonnenfelt its first head coach, and he will build the Buccaneers from the ground up ahead of their first season in 2028. "CBU Flag Football has a chance to make history in this region," Sonnenfelt said. "This is an opportunity to show that Christian Brothers is a leader in the evolution of the sport, and to build a program the university and the city of Memphis can be proud of."

Sonnenfelt knows the neighborhood. From 2018 to 2025 he was offensive coordinator at Middle College High School, across the street from CBU, where his teams went 45-23 over six seasons and made the playoffs five times. He then ran the offense and worked in football operations at Cordova High School. A native of Oakland, Neb., he picked up rugby at Li Po Chun United World College in Hong Kong, then started at center at Macalester. He holds an MPA from Nebraska Omaha and is a certified Project Management Professional and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt.

CBU is also changing homes. The NAIA approved the university's membership on Sept. 28, and the Bucs join the Mid-South Conference in 2027-28 after a final season in the NCAA Division II Gulf Coast Conference.

Ithaca Lays Out a Detailed Blueprint

Ithaca College, bringing flag football 2027-28

Ithaca College will make women's flag football its 29th varsity sport in 2027-28, and it has already shared the details. The plan calls for a 12-game schedule and a roster of 12 to 16 players, with home games at Bertino Field at Butterfield Stadium.

"This is a sport with tremendous momentum nationally, and we believe Ithaca is well positioned to build a program that can compete at a high level," Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Aaron Bouyea said. President La Jerne Terry Cornish noted that a new varsity program gives students "new ways to put their learning into practice, from athletic training to sports media and beyond."

The coach search started right away, and the conference home is still to be decided. Ithaca joins a crowded neighborhood. The school counts 10 Division III programs in New York that already sponsor the sport (Brockport, Geneseo, Elmira, Hartwick, Russell Sage, St. John Fisher, St. Lawrence, Union, Utica and William Smith) and more than 250 high schools in the state that play it.

Jamestown Brings Flag Football to the NSIC's Northern Edge

The University of Jamestown is adding women's flag football, with full varsity competition planned for spring 2028. The Jimmies will use the next academic year to hire their first head coach, recruit a first roster of about 20 to 25 players and line up games.

"This is bigger than simply adding another sport," Athletic Director Brian Mistro said. "We don't want to simply react to where college athletics has been. We want to pay attention to where it is going." Jamestown is now an NCAA Division II school in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and the release credits the Minnesota Vikings' investment in girls and women's flag football across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Iowa, the school's own recruiting footprint. "There are young athletes in our region right now who are discovering this sport and falling in love with it," Mistro said. "As they begin thinking about college, we want UJ to be an option for them."

Jamestown expects to play NCAA schools around the region in single games, regional jamborees and multi-team events.

Tusculum Joins the South Atlantic Conference Flag Football Push

Tusculum University is adding women's flag football for 2027-28, bringing the Pioneers to 24 varsity sports, 12 of them for women. A national search for the first head coach starts now. That coach will recruit the first class, which arrives in fall 2027, and games begin in spring 2028.

"As one of the NCAA's emerging sports for women and one of the fastest-growing sports across the country, flag football has tremendous momentum at the high school and collegiate levels," Vice President for Athletics Josh Ealy said. President Scott Hummel pointed to the sport's growth "across the country and in our athletic conference."

That conference growth is real. Tusculum joins four South Atlantic Conference schools that already sponsor flag football: Lincoln Memorial, Mars Hill, Newberry and Wingate. The release also lists Barton, Chowan, Emmanuel, Ferrum, Lees-McRae, King and Mount Olive as regional programs.

Saint Anselm Makes Flag Football Its 24th Varsity Sport

Saint Anselm College announced women's flag football as its 24th varsity sport, the most in school history. The Hawks arrive on campus at the start of 2027-28 and begin competition in spring 2028. A national search for the first head coach started right away, and the school has opened a recruiting questionnaire for prospects.

"We have seen the growth of this sport at the youth, high school, and college level," President Michael Lewis said. Director of Athletics Phil Rowe added that the program will "reflect the values of Saint Anselm while providing student-athletes with a meaningful experience both on and off the field."

The playing site and conference will be announced later. The timing lines up with a bigger change: Saint Anselm joins the NEWMAC on July 1, 2027, and begins moving from Division II's Northeast-10 to Division III.

Northern Essex Builds for the First NJCAA Championship

Northern Essex Community College Knights

Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, Mass., is adding women's flag football for 2027-28. The Knights practice in fall 2027 and compete in spring 2028, the same season the NJCAA crowns its first national champion in the sport, on a new all-turf outdoor complex now being built on campus.

"Right now, the sport has its greatest number of participants in Massachusetts within the Merrimack Valley and this will help us tremendously in building our program," Athletic Director Dan Blair said. The release notes that NJCAA participation has more than doubled since the association began recognizing the sport in 2025, and that more than 80 Massachusetts high schools will play in spring 2027. NECC is the third Massachusetts community college to add the sport, after Roxbury and Massasoit. The head coaching search is underway, and prospects can reach Blair directly.

NIRSA's Club League Takes Shape: 88 Teams, 10 Divisions, One Equipment Partner

NIRSA Club Flag League

NIRSA's first women's club flag football league now has its map. NIRSA posted the alignment on Instagram: 88 teams in 10 divisions. Pacific Southwest and Palmetto are the largest with 13 teams each, followed by Gulfstream with 12. Capital Flag and Continental Divide have 9 each. Atlantic Piedmont, Great Lakes and North Atlantic have 8 each, and Gulf Plains and Sierra Pacific have 4 each.

NIRSA also named Franklin Sports its Preferred Equipment Provider in a five-year, non-exclusive agreement, with comments from NIRSA's Emily Hughes and Franklin's Chris Rodday. League play starts in January 2027 and ends with a national championship in spring 2027.

Nik Sandona, NIRSA's National Flag Football Manager, told WomensCollegeFlagFootball.com what the league means for the players: "These student-athletes have been building this game on their campuses for years, often on their own. This league gives them a real season, a real path to a championship, and a stage that matches the work they've put in. Our job is to create an environment where they can compete, lead, and grow, and to leave this game better than we found it."

Club Spotlight: Three Programs Building the Game From the Ground Up

Varsity announcements get the headlines, but club teams make up much of the sport. Here's a look at three women's club programs this fall, in New York, Florida and Virginia.

College of Staten Island: The Dolphins are defending champions. Their club team won the 2025 National Collegiate Flag Football League (NCFFL) title, and in March CSI promoted alumna Lucana Pabon-Troia to head coach. "Coach Lu," the defensive coordinator from 2023 to 2025, replaces Frank Jennaco, who stepped down in December 2025. CSI plays in NIRSA's North Atlantic Division.

Lucana Pabon-Troia, Head Coach, College of Staten Island

South Florida: The Women's Flag Football Club at USF is led by president Hailey Cajigas and vice president Meagan Berger, and it plays in NIRSA's Gulfstream Division.

George Mason: Mason Recreation lists Women's Club Flag Football among its newest club sports, with competition beginning in fall 2026. The Patriots play round-robin games and NIRSA regional tournaments in the fall, then their main NIRSA league season in the spring in the Capital Flag Division.

Swamp Bowl Field Set, and the Fall Calendar Fills In

Florida's Swamp Bowl now has its field. The Gators' club team announced 15 visiting college teams: Clemson, Daytona State, Florida Gateway, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia College & State, North Florida, South Florida, Saint Leo, St. Thomas, UCF, Warner, Webber International and Wingate.

On Sunday, Oct. 25, Baldwin Wallace hosts a Halloween Flag Football Rumble with Mercyhurst, Slippery Rock and Ursuline.

Thirty-Eight and Counting: Wallace State Stays Perfect

Wallace State still hasn't lost. The Lions swept a Sunday doubleheader on Oct. 11 at Southern Union, 53-12 over Bishop State and 54-6 over the host Bison, to move to 12-0 and extend the program's winning streak to 38 games. Emma Kile was 40-of-59 for 553 yards and 13 touchdowns on the day and ran for 61 yards and another score. Taylor Kindred caught 13 passes for 223 yards and five touchdowns.

Kile threw seven touchdowns against Bishop State. Mariah Ragland added a 34-yard score and three interceptions, and Wallace's five picks kept Bishop scoreless after halftime. Against Southern Union, the defense held the league's top rushing attack to 46 yards and kept the Bison off the board through three quarters, while Kile went 21-of-30 for 289 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. Telecia Ransom returned an interception for a touchdown in both games. "This was our first time facing Southern Union and their dynamic quarterback," head coach Daniel Howard said. Wallace State was off Oct. 18.

Morales Throws for 369 as Shelton State Runs Its Streak to Seven

Shelton State swept two road games on Sunday, Oct. 18, and has now won seven straight. Diaris "Dee" Morales completed 19 of 23 passes for 369 yards and four touchdowns in a 34-13 win at LB Wallace. She found Emma Brown from 30 yards, Madelyn DePetrillo from 21 and 19, and Kamryn Everroad from 57. Everroad also threw a 2-yard touchdown to Chloe Leahy, and Lanieya Page caught six passes for 114 yards.

Earlier in the day, Morales led a 31-12 win at Bishop State, going 11-of-21 for 154 yards and three touchdowns and running seven times for 83 yards and two more scores. Both Bishop State touchdowns came on interception returns, by Nalani Thomas (36 yards) and Taiana Thomas (55).

Around the ACCC on Oct. 18:

Snead State beat Enterprise State 48-6.
Southern Union shut out Northwest-Shoals 22-0.
Bishop State beat LB Wallace 27-6.
Northwest-Shoals beat Chattahoochee Valley 38-6.
Calhoun won two non-conference games, 45-18 over Enterprise State and 25-14 over Snead State.

No result has been posted for Southern Union vs. Chattahoochee Valley.

Source: ACCC box score, Shelton State at LB Wallace; ACCC box score, Shelton State at Bishop State; ACCC schedule and results

On Deck: Sunday, Oct. 25

Wallace State returns at a tri-match at LB Wallace, playing the Saints at 1:00 and Chattahoochee Valley at 3:30. Also on Sunday:

Southern Union plays two at Snead State, at 1:00 (conference) and 2:00.
Northwest-Shoals visits Calhoun at 3:00.
At 5:00, Bishop State plays at Enterprise State and Chattahoochee Valley plays at LB Wallace.

Shelton State is off. Coming up after that, Calhoun and UT Southern meet in two exhibitions on Wednesday, Oct. 28 (3:00 and 5:00), and Shelton State and Wallace State meet on Sunday, Nov. 8, at 5:00.

On the club side, the NCFA schedule has two doubleheaders this week, Albany at Vermont and Niagara at Syracuse. No scores had been posted as of Wednesday afternoon.

By the Numbers: WomensCollegeFlagFootball.com Ratings in the NJCAA and Fall Club Ranks

The latest WomensCollegeFlagFootball.com ratings, updated through the Oct. 18 games, put unbeaten Wallace State on top of the NJCAA and Florida at the head of the club ranks. Club teams have played only a handful of games so far with limited scores reported, so apply asterisk and expect that list to move.

NJCAA Top 5

Wallace State
Shelton State
Southern Union
Calhoun
Snead State

Club Top 10*

Florida
UCF
Iona
UConn
Kennesaw State
Florida State
Florida Atlantic
South Florida
Albany
Syracuse

Westminster Brings Back Natalie Parsons as Its First Coach

Natalie Parsons, Head Coach, Westminster University (UT)

Westminster University is bringing back one of its own. The school named alumna Natalie Parsons the first head coach of its women's flag football program, which begins as a club sport in fall 2027.

Parsons has more than 10 years of competitive flag experience. She has spent five-plus years at quarterback for the Utah Sting in iFlag's Pro Division, and in August 2025 she won both the Air It Out and Non-Contact Pro divisions at iFlag Las Vegas. iFlag also picked her as one of the top quarterbacks at its Tampa World Tournament. She coaches the quarterbacks for the Skyridge High School girls team. Parsons played college basketball at Salt Lake Community College and Rutgers before her senior season at Westminster, and she has worked as a physical therapist at the University of Utah's Farmington Health Center since 2022.

Athletic Director Shelley Jarrard coached her in basketball. "I've seen firsthand the commitment, competitiveness and care she brings to a team," Jarrard said. "Flag football has been a huge part of my life for the past 10 years, and being an alumna of Westminster makes this opportunity especially meaningful," Parsons said. Students interested in the founding team can contact Jarrard, and the program is on Instagram at @wugriffinsflagfb.

Moorpark Turns to a Longtime Raider, John Diaz

John Diaz, Head Coach, Moorpark College Raiders

Moorpark College named John Diaz its first women's flag football coach. Flag football is Moorpark's 18th intercollegiate sport, and the Raiders play their first season in spring 2027. Any interested student can enroll in the fall flag football class to get ready.

Diaz has spent 15-plus years with the Raiders football program as an assistant coach, defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator. He has helped more than 250 athletes move on to four-year schools, and his defensive backs have earned 12 All-Conference, two All-State and two All-American honors. He also co-founded the Young Athletes for Christ (YAC) Foundation in 1997 and serves as its CEO.

"John has been an integral part of the football program here for a long time," Director of Athletics Lindsay Samaniego said. "As the inaugural head coach for women's flag football, I committed to building a championship-caliber program while developing student-athletes for success in the classroom, on the field, and in life beyond Moorpark College," Diaz said.

The Pipeline Grows: Oregon Becomes State No. 25

The high school pipeline added another state. The Oregon School Activities Association's Delegate Assembly voted Oct. 12 to sanction girls flag football, making Oregon the 25th state to do so. The first sanctioned season comes in spring 2027, after two years as an emerging activity. Oregon joins Arizona, California, Nevada and Washington among western states that sanction the sport.

The base is already there. Fifty-seven varsity teams and more than 1,400 athletes played last spring, and Tualatin beat South Salem 32-26 for the culminating-event title. The Seattle Seahawks have contributed $30,000 and equipment statewide, and Nike has pledged home and away jerseys for every varsity team in the inaugural season.

No one covers the college game more closely than our friend of the site, Matthew Dixon. His Women's College Flag Football Newsletter for October 19 covers seven new varsity programs, ten new club teams, a long list of new schedules and an updated board of open coaching jobs. His schedule remains a vital resource for every coach, player and fan in the sport. Subscribe and read the latest at Collegiate Flag Football.

WEDNESDAY 10/21/26 WCFFB WIRE

WEDNESDAY 10/7/26 WCFFB WIRE