Marian University adds women's flag football, to start play in 2026
FOND DU LAC, Wis. - A Wisconsin university is using the growing popularity of flag football to attract new student-athletes.
Marian University in Fond du Lac is now just the second college in the state to introduce women's flag football to its athletic department. The first season is slated for spring 2026.
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According to the National Federation of High School Associations, around 500 thousand girls ages 6 to 17 competed in flag football last year – a 63% increase since 2019.
Dani Chaname, a first-year Marian soccer player, played flag football in California. She said she's excited to start taking snaps at the collegiate level.
"I was always focused on soccer and it kind of gave me a mental break of that," she said. "I grew up loving the sport, and then being able to play it was so much better."
Marian University joins at least 30 other institutions across the nation that sponsor women's flag football.