Huntingdon To Join SCAC As Flag Football Affiliate
SUWANEE, Ga. – In an announcement made today, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference has offered women's flag football affiliate membership to Huntingdon College. The partnership begins in the spring of 2027, which coincides with the conference's inaugural year of sponsoring the sport as a championship endeavor.
"We are excited to welcome Huntingdon College as an affiliate member in women's flag football," said SCAC commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "The addition of Huntingdon reflects the continued growth and momentum of women's flag football across both our conference and collegiate athletics. Their commitment to providing competitive opportunities for student athletes aligns with the conference's mission to support emerging sports and expand meaningful championship experiences. We look forward to having Huntingdon on board as part of our inaugural season of competition in the spring of 2027."
Next Spring, it is expected that Centenary College, Concordia University (Texas), Hendrix College, Huntingdon College, and Millsaps College will each participate as women's flag football-playing members of the conference. The league plans to play a double round robin regular season schedule over four pod-hosted weekends (providing each school eight conference games) with a season-ending conference championship weekend in the initial season of the sport.
Flag football has been added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, effective immediately, after representatives from all three divisions approved the recommendation in January at the 2026 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.
Flag football has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country at the youth, high school and collegiate levels. The sport's momentum includes being added as a sport for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The SCAC sponsored a women's flag football showcase event last spring which was hosted by Concordia University (Texas) and attracted teams from Centenary, Concordia, Hendrix and Schreiner. The success of that event, along with the growing interest in the sport, solidified the league's decision to move forward with women's flag as its next championship sport.
Huntingdon College announced the addition of flag football in the summer of 2023 and is currently entering its second season of varsity competition.
"Huntingdon is a student-centered institution, and out athletic program is an integral part of how our students engage in life outside of the classroom", shared Huntingdon College President Dr. Anthony J. Leigh. "We are proud to be a pioneer for women's flag football in Alabama, and I am excited for our student-athletes in this emerging sport to have an opportunity to participate in a conference with other institutions that share our values and commitment to the philosophy of NCAA Division III athletics. We look forward to our affiliate membership in the SCAC, and our partnership with these other great institutions of higher learning."
"We thank Commissioner Hanberry and the leadership within the SCAC for the opportunity to become an affiliate member in the sport of women's flag football," said Huntingdon College Director of Athletics Eric Levanda. "I applaud the SCAC for leading the way in their sponsorship of one of the most popular and exciting female sports in the country. This affiliation will provide our student-athletes with a number of immeasurable benefits as well as furthering connections between institutions. We are extremely grateful and proud to be a part of the first southern Division III conference to sponsor women's flag football."