Ahsaa — Spain Park Flag Football team warming up during practice in 2021 (The Bama Buzz)

One of the fastest growing sports in the state is soon taking things to the next level.

The Alabama Community College Conference held a press conference Nov. 19 to announce its first championship season for women’s flag football in 2026.

“This new and exciting sport is going to bring additional opportunities to female student athletes and provide that opportunity for them to continue the sport they love. The sport has exploded on the parks and recreation level as well as the high school athletic association in our state.”
~ Dean Myrick, ACCC Commissioner

Keep reading to find out more about the sport’s first certified collegiate championship in Alabama + what schools are already committed to play.

Alabama Community College Conference

Let's GO!! pic.twitter.com/gVMhNa31b3
— ACCC (@acccathletics) November 19, 2024

In 2024, the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) had 113 teams competing for a state championship across two classifications. That was a 289% increase from the previous season.

Those are just the latest stats from a rise in the sport’s popularity in recent years. And now, there’s an opportunity for athletes to compete beyond the high school level.

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) certified women’s flag football three years ago. Alabama’s two-year schools will be joining in 2026.

Here are some key figures for the 2026 spring season:

Max of 16 games + 2 scrimmages
Up to 15 tuition + books scholarships for each school
7 schools already committed

The sport will officially have its first season in fall 2025 but the championship-certified seasons will happen in the spring.

ACCC Commissioner Dean Myrick said there are several schools still working to confirm a team for the first season, but there are already seven committed including:

Bishop State
Calhoun
LB Wallace
NW Shoals
Snead State
Wallace-Dothan
Wallace State

LBW is excited to announce the launch of a Women’s Flag Football program beginning in Fall 2025, making it one of the first institutions in Alabama to embrace this emerging sport under the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).
Read more: https://t.co/0VKV0Mm8lK pic.twitter.com/JfSUI6fbqD
— LBW Community College (@LBWCC) November 19, 2024

A path of opportunity

The growth of flag football should not be a surprise to anyone, especially here in Alabama where football has always been queen.

Girls’ flag football at the city level is happening across the state with the help of the Alabama Parks and Recreation Association (APRA). Given another goal of working toward the college level will only help fuel that excitement at a younger age.

“How do we provide the opportunity? We take away barriers. We make them affordable, accessible and equitable. We want our kids to be able to participate and that’s how we see that opportunity come to fruition… we want to positively affect the underserved areas of our state.”
~ Natalie Norman, APRA Executive Director

The growth at the high school level has been the most noticeable with several of Alabama’s own being nationally ranked throughout the 2024 season.

NFL Flag Executive Director and Alabama native Izell Reese was in attendance at Tuesday’s presser. He spoke on the kind of passion he has seen at the high school level across the state but the next step was about making a path for more.

The ACCC is hoping to do just that.

“We’re just excited. They’ve been playing for state, they’re playing to have fun, playing to be with each other but to give them an end goal that all the other sports have and they’ve never had, it’s exciting… It gives them another opportunity.”
~ Whitney Toole, Montgomery Catholic flag football coach

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