UMHB will add women’s flag football as its 17th varsity sport in 2026, joining a conference-wide push to grow the rapidly expanding NCAA emerging sport.

BELTON, Texas — The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor will launch a women’s flag football program in the 2026-27 academic year, becoming the 17th varsity sport offered by the school, the university announced Friday.

The move comes as part of a unified effort among all six American Southwest Conference (ASC) members, each of which will sponsor women’s flag football with conference play starting as soon as the NCAA permits.

“As the popularity of women’s flag football increases nationwide, adding women’s flag football allows us, as a unified conference, to continue providing opportunities for student-athletes,” said UMHB Vice President for Athletics Dr. Hunter Sims. “We are looking forward to growing the game with our fellow ASC members.”

Flag football has seen a 63% rise in participation among young women over the last five years, with more than 500,000 athletes playing before college. The sport is backed by the NFL and will be featured in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics has recommended that all divisions vote in January 2026 to include flag football in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. UMHB previously added Beach Volleyball and Acrobatics & Tumbling through this program.

Flag football is a non-contact sport played with seven players per team on an 80-yard field. Most collegiate programs compete in the spring, with rosters typically ranging from 15 to 20 athletes.