OMAHA, Neb. – College of Saint Mary is thrilled to announce plans to add Flag Football as its 12^th intercollegiate sport, with participation to commence in the 2026-27 academic year.

"This is an exciting time for our institution, as we are always looking to grow opportunities at CSM for our female student-athletes,'' CSM Director of Athletics Robbie Shay said.

Shay said CSM expects to hire a head coach in the fall of 2025.

Flag Football was named an "emerging'' sport by the NAIA in 2020 and is rapidly gaining momentum around the country. Competition in the NAIA is conducted in the spring, meaning the Flames are expected to begin their inaugural season in the spring of 2027.

CSM President Heather Smith said the school is pleased to expand the offerings for its student-athletes.

"Our mission at College of Saint Mary is to empower women to become strong leaders, and this opportunity allows our student-athletes to challenge themselves in new ways, build leadership skills and gain confidence,'' she said. "We're proud to be among the first higher education institutions offering this fast-growing sport for women.''

The sport is played 7 vs. 7, and CSM's home games will be played on the current soccer field at Heritage Park on campus.

In 2024-25, 23 NAIA schools fielded flag football teams. The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference had 10 of those teams, making it the largest by participation in the nation.

Although a full-fledged member of the Great Plains Athletic Conference, CSM also is an associate member of the KCAC in Bowling and Swimming. Shay said the Flames will be pursuing membership in the KCAC for Flag Football as well. Midland University is the only other GPAC school that currently competes in Flag Football, and it is an associate member of the KCAC in that sport.

The NAIA has two status levels prior to becoming a championship sport, which allows for a timely approach for the sport to find success and interest among NAIA membership. The next step would be "invitational'' status, which requires 25 schools to declare such intent. The final stage would be to become a "championship" sport, which requires a minimum of 40 schools and NAIA final approval.

Ottawa (Kan.) University, a member of the KCAC, in 2024 won its fourth consecutive NAIA Flag Finals title. The event will be contested this spring for the fifth straight year at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.