GREENEVILLE, Tenn. — Tusculum University has announced the addition of women’s flag football as the University’s newest varsity sport, with the program set to begin competition during the 2027-28 academic year.
The addition of women’s flag football will bring Tusculum’s athletic department to 24 varsity programs overall with 12 women’s sports offerings.
Tusculum will immediately begin a national search for the program’s first head coach, who will lead recruiting efforts ahead of the arrival of the inaugural recruiting class on campus in the fall of 2027 with competition beginning in spring of 2028.
“Adding women’s flag football to Tusculum Athletics is an exciting step forward for our University and another opportunity to expand the collegiate experience for young women,” said Josh Ealy, Vice President for Athletics. “As one of the NCAA’s emerging sports for women and one of the fastest-growing sports across the country, flag football has tremendous momentum at the high school and collegiate levels.”
“As women’s flag football continues to grow across the country and in our athletic conference, Tusculum is pleased to offer this additional athletic opportunity for female students,” added Dr. Scott Hummel, Tusculum’s President. “The addition of women’s flag football enables Tusculum to offer an outstanding education, a strong sense of community, and competitive athletics to an additional group of student-athletes.”
Last January, the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics approved women’s flag football as an Emerging Sports for Women program, an important step toward becoming an NCAA championship sport in the future. The sport is also scheduled to debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
“We are excited to be part of that growth and to provide talented student-athletes with the opportunity to continue competing in a sport they love while earning their degree at Tusculum,” Ealy added. “This addition reflects our commitment to creating new opportunities, growing our athletic department, and positioning Tusculum at the forefront of an exciting new era in women’s collegiate athletics.”
Tusculum joins fellow South Atlantic Conference members Lincoln Memorial University, Mars Hill University, Newberry College and Wingate University, who currently sponsor flag football. Other regional programs that sponsor the sport includes: Barton College, Chowan University, Emmanuel University, Ferrum College, Lees-McRae College, King University and the University of Mount Olive.
