CALIFORNIA (March 18) – PennWest California announced on Tuesday morning the addition of women's flag football to its sports lineup, with competition to begin in the 2025-26 academic year.

Recruitment will begin immediately for the program, which is the 19th athletic program for the Vulcans. Games will be played at the Phillipsburg Soccer Facility, which has ProGrass artificial turf.

"The introduction of women's flag football at PennWest California represents our ongoing commitment to providing athletic opportunities for our students," said PennWest President Dr. Jon Anderson. "We are excited to be at the forefront of this growing sport and look forward to the team's inaugural season."

The addition of women's flag football at Cal aligns with the nationwide growth of women's flag football at the collegiate level. At least 65 NCAA schools are sponsoring women's flag football at either the club or varsity levels this year, with more slated to join in 2026. The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics is reviewing an application to make women's flag football an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women.

Flag football also has been added as a sport for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The decision to introduce a women's flag football team underscores PennWest University's commitment to expanding athletic opportunities.

"We are excited about expanding our sport offering with women's flag football," said Cal Athletic Direcotr Dr. Karen Hjerpe. "There has been so much growth in the sport in a very short period time, and the addition of the program to our athletic compliment of sports will bring additional opportunities to females looking to continue their high school playing careers at the collegiate level." 

A nationwide search is underway for a head coach to lead the new team.