UW-Parkside adding women's flag football as varsity sport

article

University of Wisconsin-Parkside (UW-Parkside)

KENOSHA, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-Parkside will add women's flag football as a varsity sport, with competition beginning in the 2026–27 academic year.

UW-Parskide will become the first NCAA university in Wisconsin to offer athletic scholarships for the sport, and it will be the 17th varsity program within Parkside Athletics, Wisconsin's only NCAA Division II athletic program.

What they're saying:

"This program reflects who we are as an institution—forward-thinking, student-centered, and committed to creating new pathways to compete, lead, and succeed," Chancellor Lynn Akey said. "We are proud to help shape the future of this sport."

FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android

Women's flag football received an NCAA Emerging Sport recommendation in 2025 and is scheduled to debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games.

"This is more than the addition of a sport," Director of Athletics Adam Schemm said. "It's an investment in student opportunity, leadership, and community engagement."

Related

article

MATC launches esports program for students, starts in spring 2025

Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) launched an esports program to compete against other state schools in the Wisconsin Esports Conference (WEC).

A growing sport

Big picture view:

Participation in girls flag football continues to grow nationwide. Nearly 50,000 athletes competed during the 2024–25 school year, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations.

For 2025–26, 16 states have sanctioned the sport, with 18 additional states operating pilot programs.

UW-Parkside

By the numbers:

UW-Parkside currently sponsors 16 varsity sports, where more than 340 student-athletes compete and achieve, posting a combined 3.55 cumulative GPA during the fall 2025 semester. UW-Parkside serves more than 4,100 students.

The school will announce the program's inaugural head coach in the near future.

All interested prospective student-athletes should visit the UW-Parkside Athletics webpage.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

The addition of women's flag football is supported in part by a $1 million gift from the Brookwood Foundation announced in December 2025. The UW-Parkside Foundation has also established a matching challenge grant to support the women's flag football program.

For more information or to support the women's flag football program, contact Devon Borst, Vice Chancellor of Advancement and University Relations, at borst@uwp.edu.