Southwestern College to launch Women’s Flag Football as a Varsity Sport
A new intercollegiate athletic opportunity awaits female students at Southwestern College: Women's Flag Football. The program will become the 18th varsity sport for the Jaguars, beginning in the 2025-26 academic year.
Southwestern College recognizes the tremendous interest in women's flag football at the collegiate level. "We are very proud to offer a direct pathway and college destination for high school flag football in our region," said Dean of Wellness, Exercise Science and Athletics, Tom Gang. "Adding women's flag football allows the institution to align its sport offerings to the future of an emerging sport as well as invest in new opportunities for women to compete in college athletics".
And the timing couldn't be better. Participation in flag football has surged and is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. Over 300 passionate girls in the Sweetwater Union High School District are currently playing flag football.
The California Community College Athletic Association (3C2A) administers intercollegiate athletic activities on behalf of the state's 116 community colleges, and the organization anticipates around 40 women's flag football programs across northern and southern California in 2025-26.
At least 65 NCAA schools are sponsoring women's flag football at either the club or varsity levels this year, with more slated to join in 2026. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics made a recommendation in February that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, setting the sport on a path to full NCAA championship status.
The NAIA — a governing body that oversees collegiate athletics at more than 200 mostly private schools — has been officially sponsoring women's flag football since 2020.
With its inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, the sport's global popularity is expected to skyrocket.
"Southwestern College is excited to champion the growth and be one of the institutions of higher education at the forefront of an emerging women's sport", said Ron Valenzuela, Director of Athletics. "The launch of flag football broadens our sport offerings and strengthens our connection with the South San Diego community. Women's flag football will be more accessible by having a collegiate program right here in Chula Vista. This is going to be very special".
The average women's flag football roster size is around 25-30. Off-season training will begin Fall 2025
Current Southwestern College students are invited to participate and those who are interested in joining the women's flag football team are encouraged to complete this INTEREST FORM
