FLORENCE, Ala. (WAFF) – Sources tell WAFF Sports Director Carl Prather that the University of North Alabama will announce a sport expansion in the athletic department for 2026 that includes the addition of men’s and women’s track and women’s flag football.
UNA would become the sixth Division I school to sponsor women’s flag football as a varsity sport and the second in the state of Alabama.
Women’s flag football was recommended as an NCAA emerging sport in 2025 and has experienced rapid growth in the state of Alabama and in the southeastern United States.
As an early adopter, UNA will establish itself as a leader in one of the fastest-growing sports in the country.
More than 130 Alabama high schools sponsor the sport, and the AHSAA added flag football to the Super Seven State Championships last December at Protective Stadium in Birmingham.
Neighboring states of Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee also sponsor sanctioned high school state championships.
With expected growth at the collegiate level, women’s flag football is set to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 games in Los Angeles.
The Lions will also add a distance-based track program to further enhance the momentum of the cross country team, which recently celebrated an ASUN Championship with Brian Bett winning the men’s race in 2024.
This sport expansion will take UNA from 14 sports to 19 sports with indoor and outdoor track, while creating more than 60 new opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the Division I level. This will go into effect for the 2026-27 athletic season.
An official announcement is expected this week.
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