Illinois Wesleyan University has announced plans to add women's flag football as a sport.
The spring sport is scheduled to begin in 2026.
"It is one of the fastest growing high school sports in the state and has increased in participation and popularity nationwide ahead of its 2028 Olympic debut (in Los Angeles),” IWU athletic director Mike Wagner said. This addition positions us to best serve our current and future Titan student-athletes through new and diverse athletic offerings.”
Flag football, a sport that’s been amplified by the National Football League, is now a sanctioned high school sport in more than a dozen states, including Illinois.
More than 100 Illinois high schools compete in girls flag football — most in the Chicago area — and about 40 more programs are expected to begin in 2026.
It’s played 7-on-7 on a field that’s 80 years long and 40 yards wide.
IWU is the third Division III institution in Illinois to add flag football, joining Rockford University and Benedictine University in Lisle.
Wagner said IWU will immediately begin its search for the program’s inaugural coach.
Women's flag football will become the 27th sports program at IWU.
Games will be played at Neis Field, which hosts IWU men’s and women’s soccer.
