Women’s Flag Football Breaks Another Barrier, Moving Into HBCU Space

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The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), a historic conference made up of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), has announced the introduction of Women’s Flag Football at seven of its HBCU member institutions.  Flag is expected to launch as soon as spring 2025, further enhancing opportunities for female student athletes at HBCUs.

The participating universities are:

• Bluefield State University (Bluefield, West Virginia)
• Bowie State University (Bowie, Maryland)
• Claflin University (Orangeburg, South Carolina)
• Fayetteville State University (Fayetteville, North Carolina)
• Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, North Carolina)
• Virginia Union University (Richmond, Virginia)
• Winston-Salem State University (Winston-Salem, North Carolina)

According to the CIAA, “As an HBCU-centric athletic conference, the CIAA remains committed to fostering growth and inclusion in collegiate sports. The introduction of Women’s Flag Football aligns with the NCAA’s recognition of the sport as an emerging competition and opens new doors for female athletes at HBCUs to excel on the national stage.”

The seven institutions that have added women’s flag are expected to be joined by others as well. The sport has seen explosive growth at the high school level and as those athletes move into higher education, they will bring the demand for the sport with them. And, in fact, the Atlantic East Conference, in partnership with the NFL and RCX sports, became the first NCAA conference to offer varsity female flag football, with an anticipated start date for varsity level status in spring 2025.

“We’re incredibly excited for the continued growth of the CIAA as we add women’s flag football to the many sports that our historic conference offers to our student-athletes” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker. “The opportunity to not only expand, but giving young women the opportunity to be at the forefront of the expansion and provide another phenomenal competitive opportunity is one we’re proud to offer and we look forward to seeing these ladies take the field and commence a new era. We’re also incredibly grateful for the NFL’s role in providing all the necessary assistance to help grow this sport throughout the nation at all levels.” 

Women’s flag football will feature teams of 25 players, with games played in a 7-on-7 format on an 80×40 yard field. The NFL, a key supporter of flag football nationwide, has been instrumental in promoting the sport, especially among female athletes.

The CIAA is the first HBCU conference and one of only a handful at the Division II level to add the sport.

Through partnerships with the NFL and RCX Sports, the CIAA will continue its mission of enriching the athletic programs at HBCUs and providing new, inclusive sports opportunities for its students.

“The RCX Sports Foundation is proud to award a grant to the CIAA Conference to help launch women’s flag football in spring 2025 as part of our mission of ‘Sports for All,'” said RCX Sports CEO Izell Reese. “This grant ensures that CIAA female student athletes have the opportunity to excel in a growing sport, fostering an inclusive environment where all athletes can thrive.”