For over 100 years, fall Saturdays in Collegeville have meant Ursinus football. The crisp breeze, the packed red-and-gold stands, and of course, the legendary sycamore tree have become staples of the community.
It’s the kind of atmosphere Ursinus will look to double down on, starting in 2028. The Bears announced Girls’ Flag Football as the latest addition to the school’s athletic program. One of America’s fastest-growing sports is making its way to Collegeville.
“Women’s flag football is experiencing remarkable momentum at every level, and we are excited to bring this opportunity to Ursinus,” Athletic Director Al Reiser said in a statement from the school.
Ursinus president Gundolf Graml cited this “momentum” as something that came as a surprise to the school, but strongly influenced their decision to add the sport.
“We didn’t really have any big plans to expand [our athletic programs],” Graml said. “But when we saw such an interest in this particular sport, we started the innovation process.”
Ursinus will become one of 142 schools across D1, D2, and D3 to offer flag football as a varsity sport. They are the second school in the conference to announce they will have a team, with Gettysburg College introducing it in 2026-27. It’s a number that continues to grow, due to the continued growth in interest.
Who will coach the Bears’ team is currently unknown, with a job listing publicly available online for the position. The plan is for the team to recruit incoming freshmen during the 2027-28 school year, before competing in the fall of 2028-29. Nevertheless, Graml emphasized that on-campus students will also be welcomed to compete.
“I’ve had a lot of students reach out, interested in participating,” he said. “We’re excited to get them involved as well.”
Even with its growth, flag football is yet to be officially qualified as an NCAA sport. Currently, teams operate within respective conferences, without any large “championship” competition. However, that could change soon. The sport was placed on the NCAA’s “Emerging Sports for Women” list, signaling that it could be on its way to becoming a championship sport. The Bears, however, seem unconcerned about the timeline.
“We look forward to building this program thoughtfully, and establishing a strong foundation for its future success,” Reiser said in his statement.
The athletics program’s patience makes sense, given their history of participating in sports that are not officially NCAA-certified. Women’s Gymnastics is still not fully sponsored at the Division 3 level, with teams instead competing in the NCGA (National Collegiate Gymnastics Association) championship. And Women’s Wrestling just became an official NCAA sport in 2025, three years after the school first opened its program.
The common goal, as Graml expressed, is to fulfill student’s interests, regardless of the sport’s NCAA status.
“We want to continue to look at trends around campus, and make decisions around it,” Graml said.
