Edgewood University will add women’s flag football as a varsity sport, with competition beginning in spring 2028, the athletic department announced Thursday.
Nick Pasquarello, Edgewood’s director of athletics, said the addition reflects the growth of collegiate flag football nationally, particularly in Wisconsin and the Midwest.
Edgewood becomes the 14th college or university in Wisconsin to sponsor the sport and the seventh Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference member to offer it at the varsity level.
The NCAA added women’s flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women program at the 2026 NCAA Convention, and the sport is expected to reach NCAA championship status by 2028. It will also debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. High school flag football is currently sanctioned in two states, and the NFL has supported the sport’s expansion at the youth, high school and collegiate levels. In June, Madison School Community Recreation hosted a month-long pilot league including girls’ flag football teams from all four Madison high schools.
Edgewood is searching for its first head coach for the program. Details on coaching staff, recruiting and the competition schedule will be released later.
