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UW-Oshkosh Adds Flag Football To Varsity Offerings

**Release courtesy of UW-Oshkosh Sports Information

OSHKOSH, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Chancellor Manohar Singh announced at the University's annual convocation on Thursday (August 27) that Titan Athletics will add women's flag football as the 21st sport in its lineup.
 
Chancellor Manohar Singh said the new program reflects UW-Oshkosh's commitment to expanding athletic opportunities for women and being part of the national growth of the sport. "This is an exciting addition to Titan Athletics and UW-Oshkosh overall," said Singh. "By embracing women's flag football, we are responding to current, prospective, local, national, and global student-athletes' interests, helping them join and celebrate a sport quickly becoming a fixture in collegiate and international competition. It is one of the fastest growing sports anywhere. Its launch at UW-Oshkosh expands student offerings and helps us continue to strengthen enrollment."
 
The addition of women's flag football positions the Titans at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. The sport has already been announced at five four-year Wisconsin colleges, including UW-Stout, which played its inaugural season in the spring. According to the NCAA, as of Spring 2025, 16 colleges and universities across the country offered varsity flag football. More than 20 additional schools have announced plans to begin competition by spring 2026. The NCAA has identified women's flag football as part of its Emerging Sports for Women program, placing it on a path toward championship status by 2028.
 
"Women's flag football is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country and we are thrilled that UW-Oshkosh is at the forefront of this movement in Division III athletics," UW-Oshkosh Assistant Chancellor, Athletics, Darryl Sims said. "The excitement surrounding this sport is undeniable and UW-Oshkosh students will now have the opportunity to compete in a program that has both incredible momentum and a bright future nationally."
 
At the high school level, girls flag football has experienced a surge of participation nationwide with 15 states already sanctioning the sport and many more running pilot programs. Nearly 50,000 girls played high school flag football in 2024-25, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Sixteen state high school athletic associations have sanctioned girls flag football for 2025-26, while another 18 states are offering independent or pilot programs.
 
Women's flag football also has a global spotlight on the horizon, with the sport set to debut as an Olympic event in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.
 
Planning for the new UW-Oshkosh program will ramp up in fall 2025, when a national search for the Titans' first head coach begins. Recruiting is already underway, with UW-Oshkosh focusing on Wisconsin and the Midwest while also connecting with high school programs where the sport is sanctioned or emerging. UW-Oshkosh leaders are working toward official kick off as soon as spring 2026. They plan on strong recruitment of new student-athletes for 2026 and subsequent seasons. The Titans' home games will be played both at the UW-Oshkosh Rec Plex Dome and J. J. Keller Field at Titan Stadium. Spectators will be encouraged to bring their own seating for contests held inside the dome.
 
Flag football teams compete 7-on-7, with average rosters of about 25 players. Games are played in four 12-minute quarters on a field 80 yards long by 40 yards wide. The offense has four downs to cross each 20-yard line for a first down, with an option to punt on third down. Failure to advance results in a change of possession. Teams score six points for a touchdown and may attempt an additional one- or two-point play from five or 10 yards out. Unlike tackle football, there are no field goals or point-after kicks. Instead of tackling, competitors wear flag belts with two pop-flags fixed at their hips; play ends when a flag is pulled.
 
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