Wingate Adds Women's Flag Football

Wingate University will add women's flag football for the 2025-26 academic year and join the Conference Carolinas. Wingate is located outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. Wingate also announced that Joe Schlager will lead the program. Schlager is the current head coach of William Woods (MO), which is in its inaugural flag football season. William Woods competes in the NAIA's Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).

Conference Carolinas announced in July 2024 that it would begin sponsoring women's flag football with the 2025-26 academic year. The conference now has 9 teams lined up for the 2026 season with Wingate in the fold. Also competing in 2025-26 will be Barton (NC), Chowan (NC), Emmanuel (GA), Erskine (NC), Ferrum (VA), King (TN), Lees-McRae (NC), and Mount Olive (NC).

Last week, six schools in the Upper Midwest announced the formation of a flag football league with the help of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. That momentum isn't set to stop as women's flag football will see a surge of competition in 2026. In addition to the 66 teams competing in 2025, more than 65 schools will launch a program in 2026 with another 6 slated to launch in 2027.