Back in early November, Slippery Rock University officials announced the addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport, with the intention to begin competitive play during the 2027-28 academic year.
Women’s flag football has drawn interest from the university in previous years, with the SRU football program collaborating with the Pittsburgh Passion professional women’s football team, hosting tournaments and showcases over the fall. With the sport set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games, the popularity of women’s flag football has grown exponentially at local high schools in previous years. Additionally, the support is reinforced by an upcoming National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) vote to identify flag football as an emerging sport, placing SRU ahead of the curve for providing opportunities to student-athletes across Western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.
“I’m super excited to see where it goes,” said Sydnee Cruz, president of women’s club flag football.
Despite jumping to the varsity level, women’s flag football as a sport is still in its infancy at The Rock.
“It first got brought up last spring,” said Cruz. “An email was sent out that was whoever’s interested, and then there was maybe ten of us. But then our try-outs had, like, 30 girls, so it definitely was a big jump from where we started.”
“Athletics is a vital component of our residential campus experience, and adding women’s flag football is tremendously exciting,” said SRU President Karen Riley. “This emerging sport represents growth, inclusion and opportunity, and we look forward to building a tradition of excellence that empowers additional female student-athletes to join our many highly successful athletic programs.”
“Slippery Rock University is proud to expand opportunities for female student-athletes through the addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport,” said athletic director Roberta Page. “This is more than just adding a team, it’s about empowering women to compete, lead and excel on a national stage. With the support of our alumni, fans and friends, we will provide the resources that ensure our student-athletes thrive and help shape the future of this exciting and fast-growing sport.”
Despite the optimism, building a program from scratch has been no easy task.
“We were starting from literally nothing,” said Cruz. “I mean, we are still certainly a work in progress, but we’re definitely better than where we were last semester.”
The search for the first head coach in program history is expected to launch during the upcoming spring semester, allowing for recruiting players a full academic year before competition begins.
Further details for the fundraising campaign will be announced in the spring.
