by Shawn Nowlin
It’s only a matter of time before the following statement is no longer accurate – “Never before in the NCAA has there been women’s flag football.”
The the object of the game is as follows: each team is given four downs to advance the ball over the half line/large blue line in the middle of the playing area. The ball must break the plane of the near side of the large blue line to gain four new downs. If this is achieved, four additional downs are given to score.
Eleven states currently sanction women’s flag football at the high school level. Participation in the sport has grown 15 percent nationwide since 2020.
Comprising 15 members, Conference Carolinas is the first NCAA Division II conference to sponsor women’s flag football.
In addition to Ferrum College next fall, the five other non-conference-related institutions participating in the inaugural season will be Emmanuel University (Franklin Springs, Ga.), Chowan University (Murfreesboro, N.C.), King University (Bristol, Tenn.), Lees-McRae College (Banner Elk, N.C.) and University of Mount Olive (Mount Olive, N.C.).
In a press release, Conference Carolinas Commissioner Chris Calvin said, “We are excited to lead the way and become the first NCAA Division II conference to sponsor women’s flag football.”
The National Football League (NFL) has publicly and privately supported women’s flag football. “With significant support from the NFL, the sport is growing at the youth, high school and collegiate levels,” Calvin noted. “We are excited to be on the front lines of giving females across the country another phenomenal competitive opportunity.”
Added Stephanie Kwok, NFL Vice President of Flag Football, “This is a pivotal moment in women’s college flag football. As the first NCAA Division II conference to sponsor women’s flag football, Conference Carolina is demonstrating the popularity of this fast-growing sport and playing a key role in expanding the pathways for women to play at an elite level.”
Cleive Adams is no stranger to Ferrum College athletics. A 2002 graduate, he served as the school’s head football coach for nearly five years. Last October, he was promoted to the role of Director of Athletics.
“We are excited about the opportunity to be a part of an emerging sport that is going to add another layer to the great athletic tradition we have here at Ferrum College,” he said. “Being a part of one the first official Division II leagues that sponsor Women’s Flag and the first of its kind in the state of Virginia will provide Ferrum with an opportunity to tap into a sport population that is growing rapidly in our home state as well as neighboring states along the east coast.”
When Ferrum College has its first flag football game, Jamal Burns plans to be present. “I’ve been a supporter of Panther athletics for several years. This is going to be an exciting chapter in the school’s history,” Brown said.
