LANGHORNE, PA – Cairn University Athletics announced on Tuesday their intent to join the United East Conference in the addition of women's flag football as a club sport for Spring 2025 and conference-sponsored sport starting during the 2025-26 athletic year.
Cairn University becomes the sixth institution to sponsor women's flag football in the United East as the conference becomes the second NCAA Division III conference to announce its sponsorship of women's flag football (Atlantic East) and the fourth conference among all divisions in the NCAA (Division II's Conference Carolinas & Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association).
The league will have at least six institutions participating at the club level in spring 2025, including Gallaudet University, Keystone College, Lancaster Bible College, Penn College, Rosemont College and now Cairn.
"There is undoubted momentum and growth in women's flag football and we are extremely excited to begin sponsoring this sport in the United East," shared United East Commissioner Stephanie Dutton. "The interest and engagement in women's flag football is exploding in our conference's geographic footprint and we are eager to begin offering young women the opportunity to compete at the collegiate level."
The United East will assist in coordinating club-level competition with its five new programs in spring 2025. Once elevated to the varsity level, women's flag football will become the 21st sport sponsored by the United East with the first projected conference championship to be hosted in spring 2026 .
The conference's addition of women's flag football has been coordinated with the National Football League (NFL) and RCX Sports Foundation.
"The RCX Sports Foundation is excited to partner alongside the NFL and United East Conference to introduce women's flag football in spring 2025, supporting our mission to create greater accessibility and inclusivity in sports," said RCX Sports Foundation CEO Izell Reese. "Flag football is rapidly expanding at the collegiate level, helping solidify a robust pipeline for girls to play from youth sports through high school, college, and eventually the Olympics beginning at LA28. We're enthusiastic about the continued growth of women's flag through this partnership with the United East Conference."
In 2024-25, it is anticipated that upward of 15 NCAA institutions will be competing at the varsity level across all three divisions. At the NAIA level, there are 24 institutions currently participating in women's flag football and 12 at the NJCAA level.
At the high school level, 13 states currently sanction women's flag football, and, over the last five years, participation in high school girls flag football has grown by nearly 15 percent and nearly 18 percent for ages 6-17.
The average roster size is around 25 players that will play 7-on-7. A contest will consist of four 12-minute quarters on a field that is 80x40 yards. The offense has four downs to cross each 20-yard line for a first down with an option to punt at third down. If unsuccessful, teams surrender possession to their opponent.
Teams score six points for a touchdown and can gain an extra one or two points for a set play from the five- or 10-yard lines. Players will wear tightly fixed flag belts with sockets and two pop flags on either side of their hips.
The NFL is a huge supporter of the growth of flag football. Numerous NFL facilities and stadiums have been utilized for competitions and clinics while several players have attended and engaged with athletes to grow the sport. Across the country this past year, more than 700,000 youth took part in NFL FLAG leagues, with nearly 500,000 of those athletes being female, and 13 states have now sanctioned girls high school flag football as championship sports, thanks to the work of the NFL and RCX Sports Foundation, the official operator of NFL FLAG.
