Old Westbury College’s launch of a women’s flag football team is a baffling move that’s sure to spark conversations about gender diversity and equality in athletics.
At a Glance
- SUNY Old Westbury has announced it will add women’s flag football, starting as a club team in Spring 2026 and transitioning to a varsity sport in Spring 2027.
- The move is part of a massive nationwide trend that has seen dozens of colleges add the sport to their athletic programs.
- The growth is fueled by the sport’s inclusion in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and heavy promotion from the NFL.
- The college cites expanding opportunities for female athletes as the primary driver for the new program.
Old Westbury’s Athletic Expansion
SUNY Old Westbury is the latest college to jump on the rapidly growing bandwagon of women’s flag football. The Long Island school has announced it will add the sport to its athletic offerings, beginning as a club team in the spring of 2026 and aiming for a full varsity launch in the spring of 2027.
“With the dramatic increase in popularity of flag football across Long Island and the nation, I am excited to announce Women’s Flag Football as our newest athletic offering,” SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy E. Sams said in a statement on the college’s athletics website.
A Broader Trend Fueled by the NFL
Old Westbury’s move is not happening in a vacuum. It is part of a massive national trend that has seen colleges and universities across the country rush to add women’s flag football programs. According to Collegiate Flag Football, a news site that tracks the sport, more than 85 schools are adding the sport for the 2026 season alone.
This explosive growth is being heavily driven by two major factors: the National Football League’s (NFL) significant investment in promoting the sport at the youth and high school levels and the decision to include flag football as an official Olympic sport for the first time at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
A Push for “Diversity and Inclusivity”
Officials at Old Westbury are framing the decision as a move to promote gender diversity and create more opportunities for female athletes to compete at the collegiate level. “Our University’s mission seeks to promote greater accessibility and inclusivity, and that is true in athletics as much as academics,” Director of Athletics Lenore Walsh said, as reported by the Long Island Press.
The college will begin its search for a head coach immediately to start recruiting talented high school athletes from Long Island and beyond.
The rapid rise of flag football, however, raises questions about whether this is a sustainable addition to college athletics or a fleeting fad. As one of America’s classic sports is transformed to fit modern agendas, it remains to be seen if the momentum can be maintained or if this is simply a trend that will fade after its Olympic spotlight moment.
