HBCU meeting looking to accumulate ladies’s flag football

The CIAA, the oldest HBCU conference, took a vibrant step into the future this past springtime, launching its inaugural season of women’s flag football. With eight programs participating– consisting of Winston-Salem State, which declared the inaugural title — the reaction exceeded assumptions. It laid a strong structure for what can be a transformative sporting activity for the HBCU landscape.

A Strong Start for a New Age

“I wasn’t expecting that we would certainly have that lots of institutions,” CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams-Parker told SB Country. “I believe there’s a lot of establishments that are trying to at the very least strike the rate of interest of having flag football.”

The CIAA is now leading the way in growing females’s flag football at the college level. What started as a club effort is quickly obtaining traction toward becoming a full-fledged varsity sporting activity.

“There’s an intent to play again this spring,” McWilliams-Parker confirmed. “I assume we put funding in the budget plan to make sure that we can do this jamboree once again. I assume there’s still commitment from our establishments, and the females are thrilled.”

NFL Support and Olympic Momentum

That exhilaration shows a national trend sustained by the NFL. The league has played a key function in boosting flag football via partnerships with colleges and high schools. McWilliams-Parker disclosed that the NFL pitched the sporting activity to all 4 NCAA HBCU meetings– the CIAA, SIAC, MEAC, and SWAC– nearly 4 years back.

“We have actually been speaking about [flag football] possibly before it also grew,” McWilliams-Parker stated. “Ideally we’ll obtain some additional financing this year. We’re working on that too. But if not, I still believe the institutions are committed to having that system.”

With flag football readied to debut at the 2028 Olympics, the timing couldn’t be better for HBCUs to purchase the sport’s growth.

University to Condition Presently

classified, flag football is sporting activity as a club But in the CIAA. thinks McWilliams-Parker could that transform soon Once.

“comes to be it an official sporting activity probably for [the NCAA], shows up it seminar that our going to is a varsity have it as sport claimed,” she Right now. “simply, we’re attempting figure out to interest the yet, think I a solid there’s passion conference in our an university to have it as sporting activity goal.”

Her change is to females into’s flag football a varsity sporting activity university year by the 2026– 27 includes. That producing an official period organizing and framework first.

McWilliams-Parker– the woman function as to a proud CIAA commissioner and graduate University of Hampton also– a chance sees wider for cooperation HBCU believe.

“I ‘d it actually be enjoyable might if we figure out how competition to do an HBCU flag football claimed or week, or something like that,” she going to. “We’re meeting be summer season this sort of to strategize sports what collaboration and resembles Brilliant for us.”

The Future Looks solid

With backing establishments from growing, student enthusiasm possible, and financing outside from partners women, an appealing’s flag football has only future. The CIAA is not laying the groundwork very own for its but programs likewise positioning grow HBCUs to sporting activity in a fast-rising Relevant.

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