Texas university launches varsity flag football program

The big picture: Concordia, located in northwest Austin, with an enrollment of just over 1,500 undergraduates last year, says its flag football program will be the first-ever at the collegiate level in Texas.

What they're saying: "The introduction of this program comes at a pivotal moment as women's flag football continues gaining traction nationwide," Ronda Seagraves, Concordia University Texas vice president and director of athletics, said in a statement.

• "At Concordia University Texas, we are at the forefront of this new era of women's sports."

Details: The team is launching this fall as an initial pilot program with the goal of teaching the rules and positions of the sport.

• The head coach will be Keenan Hughes, who led the Texas Fury, a flag football organization for girls aged 10 to 18, to six national championships.
• The sport "promotes inclusivity, boosts school spirit (and) provides competitive opportunities for female athletes," Hughes said in a press release.

Flashback: In September, the university's board appointed a woman, Kristi Kirk, as the university's first female president in its nearly 100-year history.

• In early October, university officials held a ribbon cutting for its Center for Belonging and Faith, which they have promoted as highlighting the university's commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• "At Concordia University Texas, we resolutely believe that every student has meaning — a value and purpose that enriches our collective understanding," Kirk said at the event. "The Center for Belonging and Faith will help our students develop their own voices to advocate for themselves, and in turn, positively impact Central Texas."

Between the lines: The strategy seems tailored to attracting students from religious-minded households as other universities step away from DEI goals.

• Previously the university's provost, Kirk helped pull down a federal grant to subsidize its "Concordia Con Corazón" project, which aims to aid Hispanic and low-income students — especially Hispanic female students.
• "Concordia Texas is a place where students of all backgrounds encounter Christ through a Christ-centered education and are welcomed and supported as they pursue their goals."

Zoom out: Concordia's flag football move comes as high schools from Chicago to Seattle are offering women's flag football.

• Across the United States, nearly 21,000 girls competed in varsity high school flag football in 2022-23, an increase of 32% from the previous school year.

What's next: The Concordia team will play as a club sport in 2026 and as a varsity sport in 2027, per university officials.

• The NAIA, an athletic conference of smaller universities, hosts a women's flag football national tournament, with 22 teams making the postseason.
• In 2028, flag football will debut as an Olympic sport at the Games in Los Angeles.