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MAC Executive Director Megan Morrison recently announced that the Mid-Atlantic Conference will start sponsoring women’s flag football as a conference sport beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. The addition of women’s flag football brings the MAC to 29 sponsored sports and 42 championships, which continues to position the conference as one of the most comprehensive athletic programs in all of NCAA Division III.
Four member institutions will participate in the MAC’s first flag football season: Albright College, Eastern University, Marywood Universityand Neumann University. The addition of flag football underscores the MAC’s ongoing commitment to expanding opportunities for women student-athletes and embracing the fastest growing sports in the nation at both the high school and collegiate levels.
“The addition of women’s flag football is a natural and exciting evolution for the MAC. By bringing women’s flag football officially under the MAC umbrella, we not only expand our robust portfolio of sports and championships, but we also reinforce our unwavering commitment to gender equality and supporting emerging women’s sports.” – Megan Morrison, MAC Executive Director
FLAG FOOTBALL AND THE NCAA
Women’s flag football has experienced explosive growth across all sports levels in the past year. At the 2026 NCAA Convention, flag football was formally added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, further solidifying its trajectory toward full championship status. As of the 2025–26 academic year, at least 40 NCAA schools in all three divisions sponsored flag football at the college level, with projections expecting that number to reach 60 or more in the near future.
Flag football is also set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, adding further national and international visibility to a sport that continues to capture the imagination of student-athletes, coaches and fans. The MAC’s decision to sponsor flag football positions its member institutions to be part of this historic growth wave from the start.
MAC REMAINS AMONG THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE CONFERENCES IN NCAA DIVISION III
With the addition of women’s flag football, the MAC now sponsors 29 intercollegiate sports and administers 42 championships – placing it among the most prolific athletic conferences in all of Division III. The conference has consistently led the way in sports sponsorship, adding women’s wrestling as a sponsored sport beginning in the 2025–26 season, making it one of only three Division III conferences to do so at the time of that announcement. The MAC’s sub-conference divisions – the Mid-Atlantic Conference, MAC Commonwealth and MAC Freedom – together serve 18 member institutions and more than 7,700 student-athletes. The conference’s commitment to broad sports offerings ensures that student-athletes have access to a wide range of competitive opportunities regardless of their sport of choice.
INTRODUCTORY PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
Four MAC institutions will host women’s flag football programs for the inaugural 2026–27 season:
Albright College
Reading, Pa. | MAC Commonwealth
Eastern University
St. Davids, Dad. | MAC Commonwealth
Marywood University
Scranton, Pa. | MAC Freedom (Joined MAC in 2026–27)
Neumann University
Aston, Pa. | MAC Commonwealth (Joined MAC in 2026–27)
Messiah University announced the addition of flag football for the spring of 2028, while Lebanon Valley College is scheduled to add the sport in the spring of 2029. Additional MAC institutions are expected to announce flag football programs in subsequent seasons as the sport continues to grow across the conference landscape.
GET AROUND THE MAC
The following statements were provided by athletic and university leaders from across the MAC in response to the announcement:
“The MAC has a responsibility to pave opportunities that match the evolving passions of our student-athletes. The addition of flag football underscores our commitment to gender equity, inclusivity and the expansion of women’s sports. We look forward to witnessing the incredible energy, skill and competitive spirit that MAC flag football will bring to the conference.” – Dr. Chris Domes, Neumann University President
“Albright College is proud to support the introduction of women’s flag football as a conference-sponsored sport. This is an exciting opportunity to expand participation, provide more competitive opportunities for female student-athletes, and be a part of a sport that is experiencing tremendous momentum across the country.” – Rick Ferry, Albright Director of Athletics
“Marywood is excited the MAC will sponsor flag football and provide member institutions with a championship opportunity. The addition of women’s flag football and a conference championship will enhance the student-athlete experience, create new opportunities for member institutions, and position the conference as a leader in supporting emerging sports. With the sport’s growing popularity at the collegiate level, in the 20 Olympic Games, including the 20 national and national, Olympic Games and officially becoming an NCAA emerging sport, now is an ideal time to establish a conference championship that promotes competition, visibility and institutional involvement.” – Andrew Smith, Marywood Director of Athletics and Recreation
“I am incredibly excited to see the MAC sponsor women’s flag football and continue the momentum of this rapidly growing sport. This is an important step that creates more opportunities for student-athletes to compete at a high level, while helping to legitimize and expand the future of women’s flag football across collegiate athletics. We are proud to be a part of the next chapter and will have the next impact on this sport.” – Amanda Ruller, Eastern University head flag football coach
The above story is from the MAC
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