WEDNESDAY 8/26/26 WCFFB WIRE

Today’s Edition presented by Sports Management WorldWide

New varsity program announcements at Susquehanna University and Texas A&M-Kingsville, club-level realignment, Minnesota Vikings advocacy for high school sanctioning, Izzy Geraci’s professional ambassador role, high school preseason collaboration in California, and SUNY Old Westbury’s first women’s flag football coach headline this edition of WCFFB Wire.

Susquehanna Riverhawks, NCAA Division III, Landmark Conference

Susquehanna University Adding Women’s Flag Football as Varsity Sport for 2028
Susquehanna University Athletics; Dan Graham

Susquehanna University has announced women’s flag football as its 24th NCAA Division III sport. The program will begin as a club team in spring 2027 and transition to varsity status for the 2028 spring season. A national search is underway for the inaugural head coach.

Susquehanna is among the first Landmark Conference schools to add the sport, following Elizabethtown College’s planned 2027-28 varsity launch. Director of Athletics Sharief Hashim said the addition provides new opportunities for women to compete while supporting enrollment and the student-athlete experience. Pennsylvania now has 152 high schools competing in girls flag football, with the PIAA set to host its first sanctioned state championship in May 2027.

Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas, Lone Star Conference, NCAA Division II

Texas A&M-Kingsville Announces Women’s Flag Football as Newest Varsity Sport
Texas A&M-Kingsville Athletics

Texas A&M University-Kingsville has added women’s flag football as its newest varsity sport, with competition expected to begin in spring 2028. The Javelinas become the first Lone Star Conference program to add club or varsity flag football and one of the first universities in Texas to offer it as an official varsity sport.

University President Dr. Robert Vela cited the sport’s rapid growth and football’s place in South Texas culture. Executive Director of Athletics Michael Salinas said the addition creates new pathways for female student-athletes and reflects the university’s commitment to competitive excellence. The announcement aligns with flag football’s NCAA Emerging Sport status and a recommendation that all three NCAA divisions sponsor legislation for a National Collegiate Championship, potentially as early as spring 2028.

Club Changes and NCAA Championship Pathway Update
Collegiate Flag Football; Matthew Dixon
Leading Women’s flag football journalist Matthew Dixon reports that Providence College will compete in the National Club Football Association (NCFA) for 2026-27, joining a league expected to grow toward 32 teams with regional playoffs and an April 2027 national championship. The University of Virginia will compete in NIRSA’s Women’s Flag Football Club League, which has surpassed 50 announced teams and is projected to exceed 60 for its inaugural season.

The NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunity and Impact has recommended that Divisions I, II, and III sponsor legislation for a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship. A vote is expected at the January 2027 NCAA Convention, with the first championship targeted for spring 2028. The Board of Governors has already approved championship funding.

Minnesota Vikings Push for High School Varsity Sanctioning
KSTP
The Minnesota Vikings continue to invest in girls flag football with the goal of Minnesota State High School League sanctioning as a varsity sport. A 2024 pilot with four high schools grew to 104 teams by the 2026 season. The Vikings hosted the 2026 Girls Flag Football State Championship at TCO Performance Center, where Rosemount won the title.

Joe Rush, Vikings Director of Youth and High School Football, said the effort is about meeting demand and building a sustainable pipeline from youth through high school. The Vikings have also partnered with local colleges on a collegiate women’s flag football league. The MSHSL tabled an emerging-sport proposal in June, with discussions expected to resume in fall meetings. Twenty other states have already sanctioned the sport at the varsity level.

TMRW Sports has announced Isabella “Izzy” Geraci as a professional flag football ambassador for the new pro league being developed in partnership with the NFL.
TMRW Sports, Press Release

Geraci joins fellow ambassadors Ashlea Klam and Vanita Krouch, who also serves as the league’s lead for player relations.

A Team USA Football wide receiver and defensive back, Geraci is a four-time medalist and 2024 World Champion. She helped the United States win the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships, earned silver at The World Games in 2025 (tying for the team lead with 10 touchdown receptions), and recorded 292 receiving yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions while helping Team USA take silver at the 2026 World Championships in Düsseldorf.

Geraci played Division I basketball at Cleveland State University and USC Upstate, where she was named Female Newcomer of the Year, before rising quickly in flag football. She said being part of the sport’s growth “is incredibly special” and that creating professional opportunities for women and men athletes is inspiring.

Brendan Donohue, president of flag football at TMRW Sports, said Geraci’s performances on the global stage, personality, and connection with fans make her an important voice as the league is built with NFL support ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

SUNY Old Westbury Panthers, Skyline Conference, NCAA Division II

Scott Bickard Named First Women’s Flag Football Coach at SUNY Old Westbury
The Catalyst (SUNY Old Westbury); Robert Abruzzo
Scott Bickard, Intramural Sports and Recreation Coordinator at SUNY Old Westbury, has been named the university’s first women’s flag football coach. The team has been playing practice games since early March 2026 and is preparing for its official season in spring 2027.

Bickard previously helped run a recreational men’s flag football team. Many players on the new women’s roster have limited prior experience. He described the role as unexpected but rewarding and expressed interest in eventually adding men’s flag football and track programs as well.

South Bay High Schools Hold Joint Flag Football Scrimmage
Silicon Valley Voice; Andrew Bensch
Santa Clara, MacDonald, and Willow Glen high schools held a joint practice and timed scrimmages on August 24 to prepare for the new flag football season. Santa Clara head coach Pedro Martinez organized the session so teams could face different schemes and review film. Players and coaches described the event as valuable for competition, community-building, and early-season development.