“I want to thank President La Jerne Terry Cornish and Ithaca College for their commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes through the addition of women’s flag football as a varsity sport,” Flinn said. “Every college that invests in flag football creates new opportunities for women to compete, pursue their academic goals, build unique leadership skills and continue their athletic careers. As momentum behind the sport continues to build globally, with flag football set to debut at the 2028 Olympic Games and professional opportunities emerging, institutions like Ithaca are helping shape the future of the game and inspire the next generation of athletes.”
The initial roster is expected to include 12 to 16 student-athletes for seven-on-seven competition. The college anticipates recruiting six to eight incoming students and identifying an additional six to eight current Ithaca College students through structured campus outreach.
The inaugural season is expected to run from early March through April 2028, with Ithaca targeting a 12-game schedule. Home contests will be played at Bertino Field at Butterfield Stadium. The team’s conference affiliation has not yet been determined.
Those opportunities will extend beyond the students on the roster. The program will give students across the college additional ways to gain experience supporting intercollegiate athletics, including in athletic training and sports media. Intramural flag football will continue as a campus recreation option, giving other students an opportunity to participate in the sport.
The sport is also growing across New York and the Northeast. More than 250 New York high schools participate in girls’ flag football, and the state has established an annual championship. That expansion is creating a larger pool of prospective college student-athletes with competitive experience.
Ithaca College will join a growing regional collegiate landscape. Ten other NCAA Division III institutions in New York sponsor or have announced women’s flag football programs: Brockport, Elmira, Geneseo, Hartwick, Russell Sage, St. John Fisher, St. Lawrence, Union, Utica and William Smith. Several of those institutions are already competing, while others plan to begin varsity play before or during Ithaca’s inaugural season.
“This is an exciting moment in women’s athletics, and Ithaca College is proud to be at the forefront of a movement that is reshaping the collegiate sports landscape,” said Ithaca College President La Jerne Terry Cornish. “At IC, a new varsity program also gives students across the college new ways to put their learning into practice, from athletic training to sports media and beyond. The entire Bomber community looks forward to welcoming these student-athletes and cheering on a new football team here on South Hill.”
Aaron Bouyea, director of intercollegiate athletics, said the new program reflects both the national momentum behind the sport and Ithaca College’s commitment to creating an outstanding student-athlete experience.
“Adding women’s flag football is an exciting step for Ithaca College Athletics and an important opportunity to expand access to varsity competition for women,” Bouyea said. “This is a sport with tremendous momentum nationally, and we believe Ithaca is well positioned to build a program that can compete at a high level while providing an outstanding student-athlete experience. We are excited about what this addition means for the future of Bomber athletics and look forward to welcoming the first members of our women’s flag football program.”
