UW-Parkside to Add Women’s Flag Football, First NCAA University in Wisconsin to Offer Athletic Scholarships
KENOSHA, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Parkside will add women’s flag football as a varsity sport beginning competition in the 2026–27 academic year, becoming
the first NCAA university in Wisconsin to offer athletic scholarships for the sport.
Women’s flag football will be the 17th varsity program within Parkside Athletics, Wisconsin’s only NCAA Division II athletic program.
“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.”
The move comes as women’s flag football gains national momentum. The sport 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 ’08 said. “It’s an investment in student opportunity, leadership, and community engagement.”
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 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 is a Universities of Wisconsin institution and serves more than 4,100 students located in the heart of the dynamic Chicago-Milwaukee corridor.
An announcement regarding the program’s inaugural head coach will be made shortly.
The addition of women’s flag football is supported in part by a $1 million gift from the Brookwood Foundation announced last month. 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.
Since its founding in 1968, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has been a trusted partner for the region’s higher educational needs, empowering students to thrive, advancing applied knowledge, and developing talent for the future. The university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as certificates and pre-professional programs, designed to foster personal and professional growth through real-world and impactful learning experiences. Located in the dynamic Chicago-Milwaukee corridor, UW-Parkside offers unmatched access to world-class internships, professional networks, and endless career-building opportunities, placing students at the center of it all.
Media Contact:
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University of Wisconsin-Parkside
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