NIRSA Announces Conference Alignment for Inaugural Club Flag Football League Season

NIRSA Announces Conference Alignment for Inaugural Club Flag Football League Season

CORVALLIS , OR, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- NIRSA (https://nirsa.net/) today announced the conference alignment for the inaugural season of the NIRSA Club Flag Football League, creating a national structure for one of the fastest-growing sports on college campuses.

The league’s first season officially kicks off in January 2027, with more than 80 teams expected to compete across ten geographically based conferences. Schools will play an average 12-game schedule, with approximately 600 games and 75-85 jamboree-style events expected nationwide.

The inaugural women’s conferences are:

Gulfstream Division:
Florida State University, Florida A&M University, University of Florida, University of North Florida, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, Florida Gulf Coast University, Florida Atlantic University, University of Miami (FL), Florida International University and Atlantis University.

Atlantic Piedmont Division:
Georgia College & State University, University of North Georgia, University of Georgia, University of Alabama, Clemson University, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern University and the University of South Carolina.

Palmetto Division:
University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Winthrop University, Coastal Carolina University, Wake Forest University, North Carolina A&T State University, Radford University, High Point University, Duke University, North Carolina Central University, NC State University, Fayetteville State University, Old Dominion University and Hampton University.

Capital Division:
University of Delaware, University of Maryland, Howard University, George Mason University, University of Maryland - Baltimore County, Coppin State University, Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Virginia and James Madison University.

North Atlantic Division:
University of Massachusetts Amherst, University at Albany, University of New Haven, College of Staten Island, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers University and Widener University.

Great Lakes Division:
University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University, Purdue University Fort Wayne, Ohio University, Oberlin College, University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Indiana University.

Gulf Plains Division:
University of Oklahoma, University of North Texas, Texas Southern University and Louisiana State University.

Continental Divide Division:
University of Utah, Weber State University, Utah Valley University, Boise State University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Denver, University of Montana, Montana Technological University and Montana State University.

Sierra Pacific Division:
Sacramento State, University of Nevada, Reno, UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Pacific Southwest Division:
UCLA, USC, Claremont Colleges, Cal Poly Pomona, Cal State Long Beach, UC Santa Barbara, San Diego State University, UC San Diego, MiraCosta College, Arizona State University, Grand Canyon University, University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico.

“This is where the NIRSA Club Flag Football League starts to feel real,” said Pamela Watts, Executive Director of NIRSA. “We aren’t just creating opportunities for students to play flag football. We’re building a national collegiate structure where schools can compete regionally, develop rivalries and ultimately earn the opportunity to compete for a national championship.”

Rather than asking teams to travel across the country every weekend, NIRSA’s league model is built around geography and a jamboree format. Three to six schools will gather at a host location and play multiple games during a single event. Teams will primarily face conference opponents, with opportunities for non-conference competition as well. NIRSA will coordinate league scheduling in collaboration with participating club and varsity programs.

The format also creates some immediate college football-style rivalries in a new setting: USC-UCLA, Florida-Florida State, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Michigan-Indiana, Duke-NC State and Arizona-Arizona State, among others. The season will culminate with a national championship tournament featuring the top teams from each conference. The championship format is slated to include pool play followed by bracket competition, semifinals and the national championship game.

The league is also being built with athletes having a seat at the table. A seven-member Student Athlete Advisory Committee will provide feedback and help shape decisions affecting the player experience.

Additional details regarding schedules, championship location, and broadcast opportunities will be announced in the coming months. Schools with clubs eligible to compete in the 2027 NIRSA Club Flag season should visit https://nirsa.net/play/flag-football/womens-club-league/ to learn more and register.

About NIRSA:
NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation is a nonprofit association dedicated to advancing recreation, sport, and wellbeing in higher education. Since its founding in 1950, NIRSA has supported the learning and growth of college students by fostering inclusive communities and promoting lifelong habits of wellbeing through campus recreation.

Jake Duhaime
NIRSA
+1 617-285-8087