NEWTOWN, Pa. (Conference News) – MAC Executive Director Megan Morrison announced today that the Middle Atlantic Conference will begin sponsoring women's flag football as a conference sport beginning in the 2026–27 academic year. The addition of women's flag football brings the MAC to 29 sponsored sports and 42 championships, continuing to position the conference as one of the most comprehensive athletic programs in all of NCAA Division III.
Four member institutions will participate in the MAC's inaugural flag football season: Albright College, Eastern University, Marywood University, and Neumann University. The addition of flag football underscores the MAC's ongoing commitment to expanding opportunities for women student-athletes and embracing the fastest-growing sports in the country at both the high school and collegiate levels.
"The addition of women’s flag football is a natural and exciting evolution for the MAC. By officially bringing women's flag football under the MAC umbrella, we are not only expanding our robust portfolio of sports and championships, but we are also reinforcing our steadfast commitment to gender equity and supporting emerging sports for women." – Megan Morrison, MAC Executive Director
FLAG FOOTBALL AND THE NCAA
Women's flag football has experienced explosive growth across all levels of sport in recent years. At the 2026 NCAA Convention, flag football was formally added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, further cementing its trajectory toward full championship status. As of the 2025–26 academic year, at least 40 NCAA schools across all three divisions have sponsored flag football at the varsity level, with projections anticipating that number to reach 60 or more in the near future.
Flag football is also set to make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games, adding further national and international visibility to a sport that continues to capture the imagination of student-athletes, coaches, and fans alike. The MAC's decision to sponsor flag football positions its member institutions to be part of this historic growth wave from the very beginning.
MAC REMAINS AMONG MOST COMPREHENSIVE CONFERENCES IN NCAA DIVISION III
With the addition of women's flag football, the MAC now sponsors 29 intercollegiate sports and administers 42 championships — placing it among the most prolific athletic conferences in all of Division III. The conference has consistently led the way in sport sponsorship, having added women's wrestling as a sponsored sport beginning in the 2025–26 season, making it one of only three Division III conferences to do so at the time of that announcement. The MAC's sub-conference divisions — the Middle Atlantic Conference, MAC Commonwealth, and MAC Freedom — together serve 18 member institutions and more than 7,700 student-athletes. The conference's dedication to broad sport offerings ensures that student-athletes have access to a wide range of competitive opportunities regardless of their sport of choice.
INAUGURAL PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
Four MAC institutions will field women's flag football programs for the inaugural 2026–27 season:
Albright College
Reading, Pa. | MAC Commonwealth
Eastern University
St. Davids, Pa. | MAC Commonwealth
Marywood University
Scranton, Pa. | MAC Freedom (joining MAC in 2026–27)
Neumann University
Aston, Pa. | MAC Commonwealth (joining MAC in 2026–27)
Messiah University announced adding flag football for the spring of 2028, while Lebanon Valley College is scheduled to add the sport in spring of 2029. It is expected that additional MAC institutions will announce flag football programs in subsequent seasons as the sport continues to grow across the conference landscape.
WORD AROUND THE MAC
The following statements were provided by athletic and university leaders from across the MAC in response to the announcement:
“The MAC has a responsibility to pioneer opportunities that align with the evolving passions of our student-athletes. Adding flag football underscores our commitment to gender equity, inclusivity, and the expansion of women's sports. We look forward to witnessing the incredible energy, skill, and competitive spirit MAC flag football will bring to the conference.” - Dr. Chris Domes, Neumann University President
“Albright College is proud to support the launch of women's flag football as a conference-sponsored sport. This is an exciting opportunity to expand participation, provide more competitive opportunities for female student-athletes, and be part of a sport that is experiencing tremendous momentum across the country.” - Rick Ferry, Albright Director of Athletics
"Marywood is excited the MAC will be sponsoring flag football and providing member institutions with a championship opportunity. Adding women's flag football and a conference championship will enhance the student-athlete experience, create new opportunities for member institutions, and position the conference as a leader in supporting emerging sports. With the sport's growing popularity at the collegiate, national, and international levels, including its inclusion in the 2028 Olympic Games and officially becoming an NCAA emerging sport, now is an ideal time to establish a conference championship that promotes competition, visibility, and institutional engagement." - Andrew Smith, Marywood Director of Athletics & Recreation
“I am incredibly excited to see the MAC sponsor women’s flag football and continue the momentum of this rapidly growing sport. This is a significant step that creates more opportunities for student-athletes to compete at a high level while helping legitimize and expand the future of women’s flag football across collegiate athletics. We’re proud to be part of this next chapter and look forward to the impact this will have on our program and the sport as a whole.” - Amanda Ruller, Eastern University Head Flag Football Coach
ABOUT THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE
Located in Newtown, Pa., the Middle Atlantic Conference is an NCAA Division III conference comprising the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth (MAC Commonwealth), and Middle Atlantic Conference Freedom (MAC Freedom).
Its 18 member institutions, located across three states, are: Albright College (Reading, Pa.), Alvernia University (Reading, Pa.), Arcadia University (Glenside, Pa.), Delaware Valley University (Doylestown, Pa.), DeSales University (Center Valley, Pa.), Eastern University (St. Davids, Pa.), Fairleigh Dickinson University–Florham Campus (Madison, N.J.), Hood College (Frederick, Md.), King's College (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.), Lebanon Valley College (Annville, Pa.), Marywood University (Scranton, Pa.), Messiah University (Mechanicsburg, Pa.), Misericordia University (Dallas, Pa.), Neumann University (Aston, Pa.), Stevens Institute of Technology (Hoboken, N.J.), Stevenson University (Owings Mills, Md.), Widener University (Chester, Pa.), and York College of Pennsylvania (York, Pa.).
The MAC sponsors 29 intercollegiate sports and 42 championships in NCAA Division III. More than 7,700 student-athletes participate in baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, football, men's and women's golf, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's indoor track & field, men's and women's lacrosse, men's and women's outdoor track & field, softball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's volleyball, women's wrestling, men's wrestling, and women's flag football.