SUNY Old Westbury has announced the addition of women's flag football to its lineup of intercollegiate athletics programs beginning in 2025-26.
"With the dramatic increase in popularity of flag football across Long Island, and the nation, I am excited to announce Women's Flag Football as our newest athletic offering,” said SUNY Old Westbury President Timothy E. Sams. "We already know through our other intercollegiate athletic programs the value of teamwork and the leadership skills that are crafted through competition. With this addition, we will be at the forefront of expanding another opportunity for women to succeed in and through sports.”
Old Westbury joins a growing list of colleges and universities in the United States to add women's flag football and will be among six institutions to compete in the fast-growing sport in the Skyline Conference.
We’re eager to offer more opportunities for young women to compete at the collegiate level...
-- Lenore Walsh, director of athletics
"Our athletic department is committed to providing valuable, exciting opportunities for our student-athletes," said Director of Athletics Lenore Walsh. " Our University’s mission seeks to promote greater accessibility and inclusivity, and that is true in athletics as much as academics. We’re eager to offer more opportunities for young women to compete at the collegiate level through the addition of women’s flag football.”
The women's flag football program will compete at the club level in Spring 2026 before transitioning to varsity status in Spring 2027. Starting out as a club sport will serve as a developmental period for the program to allow student-athletes the opportunity to participate in organized competition before competing at the varsity level the following season.
The search for the program's inaugural head coach will begin in May with an announcement expected during the summer.
Email Director of Athletics Lenore Walsh for more Information on flag football at SUNY Old Westbury
Flag football is played on an 80x40 yard field and features four quarters, each lasting 12 minutes. Teams generally have approximately 25 players, though there are no current official roster sizes. Games are played in a seven-on-seven format.
Women's flag football is expected to be considered as an Emerging Sport for Women by the National College Athletic Association in the coming year. Emerging Sports for Women are recognized by the NCAA but do not have sanctioned NCAA Championships. At least 65 NCAA schools already are sponsoring women's flag football at either the club or varsity level this year.
Visit the Panther Athletics website to learn more about intercollegiate, club and recreational opportunities at SUNY Old Westbury.
About the SUNY Old Westbury Athletics Program
The athletics department of SUNY Old Westbury is a NCAA Division III member. The Panthers have 12 programs including men's teams for baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and volleyball and women's teams for basketball, cross country, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball. The Panthers are a member of the Skyline Athletic Conference where it competes among 12 colleges and universities located in the New York metropolitan area.