Meredith College has announced plans to add flag football to its athletics offerings, aiming for competition to begin in Spring 2027.

Flag football has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. In 2024, more than 700,000 youth participated in NFL FLAG leagues, including nearly 500,000 female athletes. Flag football will also be a sport in the 2028 Olympic Games.

By adding flag football, Meredith’s Avenging Angels will be part of this growing sport at the collegiate level. 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.

Meredith will be the first college in its USA South Conference to sponsor flag football as an official sport.

“I am confident that this sport will continue to grow in popularity and that more and more colleges and universities will add it,” said Interim Director of Athletics Jackie Myers. “Adding the sport before many of our conference schools will give Meredith a competitive advantage.”

Meredith College will soon recruit its first flag football coach and field its first team for competition in the spring of 2027.

At the high school level, interest in flag football is growing. Over the last five years, participation in high school women’s flag football has grown by nearly 15 percent. Twelve states have sanctioned women’s flag football as a championship sport, including Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. North Carolina has pilot programs in the sport.

About Avenging Angels Athletics

Meredith College Avenging Angels compete at the NCAA Division III level in the USA South conference. Meredith currently offers 11 sports: basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), and volleyball. Learn more at goavengingangels.com.