ST. PETERSBURG —Eckerd College Athletics announced today plans to add women's flag football as the College's 19th varsity sport—responding to the rapid national growth and investment in the sport. Eckerd's program is set to begin competition in Spring 2028. A national search for the program's inaugural head coach will begin immediately.
"We are incredibly excited to bring women's flag football to Eckerd College," said Eckerd President Jim Annarelli. "This is an opportunity for Eckerd to be at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing sports in the country while continuing to expand opportunities for female student-athletes. We are eager to build a program that represents Eckerd at a high level and establishes a strong foundation for the future."
More than 100 high schools in the Tampa Bay region host a varsity flag football team, and Eckerd will be the first intercollegiate team in Pinellas County. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have hosted the Florida High School Athletics Association Championships for four years—drawing the sport's best players to Eckerd's backyard annually. The Tritons will be the third flag football team in the Sunshine State Conference.
"Adding women's flag football provides Eckerd with an opportunity to be a pioneer in the growth of the sport at both the conference and national levels," said Eckerd College Director of Athletics Tom Ryan '87. "There is tremendous momentum surrounding flag football, and we are excited to help shape its future while creating another opportunity for female student-athletes to compete at the collegiate level."
Women's flag football was officially added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in January 2026, providing a pathway toward NCAA championship status. The sport continues to experience rapid growth at the youth, high school and collegiate levels and is also set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles. The NCAA has recommended the creation of a National Collegiate Flag Football Championship, with the first championship potentially taking place in the spring of 2028.
