GREENVILLE, Pa. (Oct. 14) -- Thiel College will field a women's flag football team this upcoming spring, Director of Athletics Isaac Collins announced Tuesday morning. Thiel joins fellow Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) schools Allegheny, Bethany, Chatham, Franciscan and Saint Vincent in offering the sport.

"Introducing Women's Flag Football reflects our commitment to growing opportunities for student-athletes and staying ahead of the curve in collegiate athletics," Collins said. "This sport is expanding rapidly nationwide, and we're proud to give our students a chance to be part of that growth here at Thiel."

Prospective student-athletes can click here or the blue box above to fill out a recruitment questionnaire.

A national search is underway for the Tomcats' first women's flag football coach. Any questions or inquiries can be directed to Collins via email at icollins@thiel.edu or by phone at 724-589-2212.

Nationally, flag football has experienced significant growth at the high school and collegiate levels. In February, the NCAA's Committee on Women's Athletics recommended that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add women's flag football to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. There is a vote scheduled at the 2026 NCAA Convention to formally recognize women's flag football as an emerging sport in DIII.

Just this past weekend, Chatham, Franciscan and Saint Vincent along with Pitt competed in a showcase at halftime of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns game in Pittsburgh. Over 65 NCAA institutions are sponsoring club or varsity flag football teams with dozens more expected to join in 2026. The Atlantic East Conference became the first NCAA conference to formally offer varsity women's flag football last spring.

At the high school level, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) sanctioned flag football as an official varsity sport with over 125 schools fielding teams last season.