Eastern Michigan Adds Women's Flag Football as Varsity Sport

New program aims to capitalize on fast-growing popularity of the sport among high school girls

Apr. 16, 2026 at 9:57pm

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A vibrant, cubist-inspired painting depicting a women's flag football game, with the players and field broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes of color.EMU's new women's flag football program aims to capitalize on the sport's surging popularity at the high school level.Brighton Today

Eastern Michigan University has announced that it will add women's flag football as a new varsity sport, becoming one of the first Division I schools in the country to offer the fast-growing sport at the collegiate level. The move comes after the state of Michigan crowned its first-ever high school girls flag football champions in 2026, with the St. Joseph Bears defeating the Brighton Bulldogs in a thrilling 21-20 title game.

Why it matters

Women's flag football has seen a surge in popularity at the high school level in recent years, and EMU's decision to add it as a varsity sport reflects the university's commitment to expanding opportunities for female student-athletes. The new program could help drive further growth and recognition of the sport, which is still relatively new to the college landscape.

The details

EMU will become one of the first Division I universities to offer women's flag football as a varsity sport, joining a small but growing number of schools across the country that have added the fast-paced game to their athletic programs. The new team will compete in the Mid-American Conference, which is one of the few NCAA conferences that currently sponsors women's flag football.

  • In 2026, the state of Michigan crowned its first-ever high school girls flag football champions.
  • EMU's new women's flag football program will begin competing in the 2027-28 academic year.

The players

St. Joseph Bears

The high school girls flag football state champions in Michigan, defeating the Brighton Bulldogs 21-20 in the title game.

Brighton Bulldogs

The runner-up in the first-ever Michigan high school girls flag football state championship game, falling to the St. Joseph Bears 21-20.

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What’s next

EMU's new women's flag football team will begin competing in the Mid-American Conference in the 2027-28 academic year, marking a significant milestone for the fast-growing sport at the collegiate level.

The takeaway

EMU's decision to add women's flag football as a varsity sport underscores the growing popularity and recognition of the sport, particularly at the high school level. The new program could help drive further expansion of women's flag football opportunities at the college level, providing more student-athletes with the chance to compete in this dynamic and fast-paced game.