St. Thomas Aquinas College is proud to announce the launch of its new Women’s Flag Football program, set to begin in Fall 2025. Flag Football, one of the fastest-growing sports, will be featured in the 2028 Olympics. The National Football League (NFL) is a major supporter of nearly 2,000 NFL FLAG leagues nationwide, and this dynamic sport has seen a remarkable 63% increase in participation among young women since pre-COVID levels, with over 500,000 now playing before college.
“We are thrilled to introduce Women’s Flag Football to our athletic offerings,” said Nicole Ryan, Athletics Director at St. Thomas Aquinas College. “This initiative not only aligns with our strategic mission of developing students inside and outside the classroom, but also places us at the forefront of a rapidly growing sport. We look forward to seeing our students thrive on and off the field as they embody the spirit and strategy of flag football.”
Flag Football, a non-contact sport that combines the strategy and excitement of traditional football with a fast-paced, dynamic twist, is played with seven players on each side on a 70-yard field. Every drive counts in flag football, which emphasizes agility, strategy, and teamwork without the need for bulky equipment.
ECC Commissioner, Jessica Grasso, notes: “This is an exciting opportunity for St. Thomas Aquinas College to start a Women’s Flag Football program. Women’s Flag Football is an emerging sport and growing rapidly in the NCAA, so this is perfect timing for St. Thomas Aquinas College to bring to their campus to provide more opportunities for females to participate in athletics. The East Coast Conference membership is interested in cultivating this sport, so St. Thomas Aquinas College will be a leader and resource for the membership to potentially build upon.”
The St. Thomas Aquinas College Department of Athletics features 22 NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Athletic Programs and a variety of Club Sports, including Sprint Football, Ice Hockey, Cheer & Dance, Esports, and now, Women’s Flag Football. The College’s approximately 450 student-athletes live by the motto “Making Success A Habit,” whether inside the classroom, within the community, or on the athletic field or court, as evidenced by the program’s multiple Conference & NCAA postseason appearances and championships, Academic Success Rate honors, and Community Service awards.
For more information about STAC Athletics and the new Women’s Flag Football program, please contact STAC Athletics.
About St. Thomas Aquinas College
St. Thomas Aquinas College is an independent liberal arts college located on 76 acres in Rockland County, NY, providing education at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The College’s diverse student body of approximately 2,000 full- and part-time students can choose from over 100 majors, minors, and specializations across four Schools: Arts & Social Sciences, Business, Education, and STEM. The College is recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the Top-Tier for Regional Universities, and by Colleges of Distinction in its New York edition for Business, Education, and Career Development. The College is also recognized as a Yellow Ribbon Program institution. St. Thomas Aquinas College is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools; its School of Education is accredited by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and its School of Business is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE). For more information, visit www.stac.edu.