PennWest California Adds Flag Football

PennWest California (PA) became the latest school to announce the addition of flag football for the 2025-26 academic year. Long Island University (NY) announced the addition on Monday and PennWest made it two in as many days. The Vulcans play in the NCAA Division II Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC). PennWest California is at least the 74th school expected to start playing women's flag football in the 2025-26 academic year.

PennWest California is the first school in the PSAC to sponsor women's flag football. By the time the 2026 season starts, 16 schools in Pennsylvania will offer a club or varsity flag football team. The school is located in California, Pennsylvania, and was previously known as California University of Pennsylvania until 2022 when a merger of three schools - California, Clarion, and Edinboro - created Pennsylvania Western University.

In February, the NCAA recommended that flag football join the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, which provides a pathway to becoming a championship sport. All three divisions could end up sponsoring a championship sport in the future but require a minimum of 40 schools at the varsity level. Flag football will also make its Olympic debut in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.