{"id":706011,"date":"2026-01-26T09:25:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T09:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/706011\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T09:25:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T09:25:29","slug":"gcu-asu-club-flag-football-face-off-could-ncaa-sanction-the-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/706011\/","title":{"rendered":"GCU, ASU club flag football face off. Could NCAA sanction the sport?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In what may soon become an official NCAA sport, Arizona State<\/a> and Grand Canyon University faced each other in a club flag football game to open up the 2026 season. The two teams met on Jan. 24, with GCU defeating ASU 25-0.<\/p>\n

GCU was led by four touchdowns from junior quarterback Ella Bernier, who ended the game with a 35-yard touchdown run.<\/p>\n

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But there was much more to this game than just the actual result. Flag football, which is set to make its debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, recently took the next step toward becoming a sanctioned sport by the NCAA. Saturday night\u2019s game was a potential glimpse of the future.<\/p>\n

The stands at GCU\u2019s Track Athletics Field are not the biggest, but they were filled with fans.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s electric,\u201d GCU coach Brian Tice said. \u201cThis sport is growing as we speak and to have this support for two local teams, it\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The sidelines were also mostly filled with fans as well as the crowd cheered on both teams in the first game for the teams since flag football was officially added to the NCAA Emerging Sports program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo see all the people that come out here, just stand on a field with no stands \u2013 I mean, give us a stadium, and we\u2019re going to fill it,\u201d Arizona State coach Jesse Pap said. \u201cThere\u2019s that much energy about the sport. Coach Tice and I are both excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

With flag football in the Emerging Sports program, it is now on the pathway toward reaching NCAA status. There are certain thresholds that need to be met, but enthusiasm is building.<\/p>\n

Flag football has been one of the fastest-growing sports at the youth, high school and collegiate levels. According to the International Federation of American Football, 2.4 million kids under 17 are playing organized flag football in the U.S., while millions more participate in flag globally.<\/p>\n

Right now, flag football is only played officially at the NAIA level, which oversees small college athletics. Arizona Christian University is set to begin its first season this year, but other states have already gotten a head start.<\/p>\n

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Pap and Tice hope that if flag football becomes an official NCAA sport, that it will help with recruiting.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Arizona is overlooked, to be honest,\u201d Pap said. \u201cCoach Tice and I, we\u2019re tired of seeing all of our stud Arizona athletes go to Kansas, Florida. We want to keep them in the great state of Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tice\u2019s current roster is filled from all over the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe see what type of athletes we have here,\u201d Tice said. \u201cThe sport is just growing so fast. With it going possibly NCAA, it\u2019s going to be a big deal for us in Arizona.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Bernier, who was one of the first people to sign up for the club at GCU before its inaugural season in 2024, the game was a special moment. She\u2019s from Chicago and didn\u2019t get to play flag football in high school. Friends and family flew in from Illinois to see her play.<\/p>\n

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Bernier has watched the club grow since joining. There are 28 athletes on this year\u2019s roster.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so glad I\u2019ve been here since day one,\u201d Bernier said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t be more proud of the girls and the coaching staff we have today. I was here before I even knew flag football was a thing. To see it blow up overnight, in the Olympics now, the momentum is going crazy now. NFL teams sponsoring teams. It\u2019s seriously going to be one of the next big things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: GCU, ASU club flag football face off. Could NCAA sanction the sport?<\/a><\/p>\n