LANCASTER, PA. - The Atlantic East is excited to welcome Chestnut Hill College as an associate member starting in the spring of 2026. Women’s flag football becomes Chestnut Hill’s 20th varsity sport. 
 
The institution’s head coach search is underway and the school is looking forward to an exciting recruiting year. Interested candidates can apply here.

The addition of the Griffins expands the Atlantic East women’s flag football membership to eight. 

“We are excited to have Chestnut Hill joining the Atlantic East as an associate member in women’s flag football,” said Rebecca Mullen, Interim Commissioner of the Atlantic East. “We take great pride in being the first NCAA conference to sponsor a championship in flag football and Chestnut Hill is a great fit to help us grow a competitive atmosphere for our student-athletes.” 

Flag football’s popularity has grown exponentially at both the high school and collegiate level. The Atlantic East continues to prove it is at the forefront of the sport’s growth with this latest addition.

“We are thrilled to introduce women’s flag football to the Chestnut Hill College Athletics program,” said Chestnut Hill Athletic Director, Jesse Balcer. “This addition not only aligns with our commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes but also highlights the growing momentum of this exciting and empowering sport. I can’t wait to see our Griffins thrive on this new stage, showcasing their talent, teamwork, and passion.”

Women's collegiate flag football showcases seven players on a field that is 40 yards in width by 80 yards in length. Each team moves offensively by running or passing a football, while the defense tries to "tackle" by pulling flags on the belt of the ball carrier.
 
About 500,000 girls aged 6-17 - a 63 percent increase since 2019 - played flag football in 2023, according to the National Federation of State High School Associations. Locally, 16 high schools competed in the inaugural season of the Philadelphia Eagles’ Girls Flag Football League in 2022. That number has risen to 65 teams from Pennsylvania and another 27 from South Jersey in 2024. Furthermore, the sport will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028. 

“The fact that the Olympics is going to host the sport, shows how quickly flag football is growing globally, and we are happy to be getting on board at this point in time,” Balcer continued.

The Atlantic East partnered with the NFL and RCX Sports to become the first NCAA conference to offer varsity female flag football last year. The league held its inaugural championship in April of 2024 with a full regular season and playoff action scheduled for 2025. The inaugural championship was a one-day tournament that featured a welcome from Philadelphia Eagles mascot Swoop, team cheerleaders, as well as the pep band. 

Chestnut Hill joins Centenary, Immaculata, Marymount, Neumann and fellow associate members Eastern University and Holy Family University in the Atlantic East. In 2026 the league will also feature Atlantic East core member Marywood, which announced the addition of the sport last week. The Griffins are immediately eligible for all women’s flag football conference recognition when they begin in 2026.

ABOUT ATLANTIC EAST
The Atlantic East Conference is a member of NCAA Division III comprising seven institutions in a four-state area - Gwynedd Mercy, Immaculata, Marywood and Neumann Universities in Pennsylvania; Centenary University in New Jersey, Marymount University in Virginia, and Pratt Institute in New York. 
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