The University of Texas at Arlington is adding women's flag football to its intercollegiate athletics program, becoming the first NCAA Division I university in Texas to do so—and staking a bold claim in one of the nation's fastest growing sports.
President Jennifer Cowley announced the program Thursday during her State of Higher Education address at College Park Center, inviting the crowd to envision a new era of football at UTA—led by women and driven by Olympic dreams.
"Football is king in Texas, we all know that," Dr. Cowley said, adding that UTA is blazing a new path by adding the emerging sport.
UTA will begin competition in spring 2027. It becomes just the fifth NCAA Division I school nationally to add women's flag football and the third college across all divisions in Texas. The program will call Maverick Stadium home and begin hiring coaches and signing players later this year.
"This sport has so much upside," UTA Director of Athletics Jon Fagg during a press conference following Cowley's announcement during the State of Higher Education event. "I've been here a couple of years and from day one, Dr. Cowley and I talked about potentially adding women's sports, and as we got more serious, she was the one who said, 'hey, what about flag football?' It just had so much upside. It meshes well with NIL and the new age of sport. We decided let's get out in front of the curve and picture ourselves being a national powerhouse."
Momentum behind the sport is building quickly. In February, the NCAA's Committee on Women's Athletics recommended flag football for its Emerging Sports for Women program. The NFL's Dallas Cowboys launched a girls' high school flag football league across North Texas in March, and Arlington ISD—right in UTA's backyard—recently announced it will field teams at all six of its high schools this fall.
With women's flag football set to debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Los Angeles Games, Cowley said UTA offers a launchpad for athletes with international ambitions.
Cowley emphasized that the growth of flag football in local and regional high schools spurred the addition.
"As we evaluated the options and looked at what was happening in the local school districts, women's flag football really rose to the top," Cowley said during the press conference. "It was something that we could readily do in existing facilities, growing demand from young women who are competing in this sport at the high school level and a a natural fit for UTA."UTA last added a varsity sport in 2017 with the launch of women's golf. With the addition of flag football, UTA will sponsor 14 NCAA Division I programs—including eight women's sports.
"It's just one more great reason for students at Arlington ISD and schools across Texas to choose UTA," Cowley said. "In the near future, we'll all be able to return to Maverick Stadium to once again cheer our Mavericks on the football field—this time, for women's flag football. I'll be there, and I hope you will join me."
About The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA)
Celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2025, The University of Texas at Arlington is a growing public research university in the heart of the thriving Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. With a student body of over 41,000, UTA is the second-largest institution in the University of Texas System, offering more than 180 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Recognized as a Carnegie R-1 university, UTA stands among the nation's top 5% of institutions for research activity. UTA and its 280,000 alumni generate an annual economic impact of $28.8 billion for the state. The University has received the Innovation and Economic Prosperity designation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities and has earned recognition for its focus on student access and success, considered key drivers to economic growth and social progress for North Texas and beyond.
