Flag football at UGA could move to ‘top of list’ when college sports stabilize

GREENSBORO — Georgia athletic director Josh Brooks is taking note of the growth of women’s flag football, which received a formal recommendation to become an NCAA sport on Tuesday.

“I think obviously you’re seeing it grow in our area,” said Brooks, aware girls’ flag football officially debuted as a sanctioned sport in Georgia high schools during the 2020-21 school year as part of a pilot program in Gwinnett County launched by the Atlanta Falcons.

Brooks, in his seventh year as UGA’s athletic director, said the sport’s inclusion in major Power 4 will likely be dependent on how soon collegiate sports can stabilize a current landscape filled with financial challenges in his NIL era.

“One of the initiatives of Title IX is being aware of what sports are being played and sought after in your region of the country,” Brooks said. “It’s a tough time in the college athletics world right now because everyone’s trying to reduce expenses and be more efficient, so adding a sport is going to be a tough concept right now.”

That said, Brooks said UGA will continue meetings associated with women’s flag football to keep abreast of its growth.

“I would think that if we ever get to a point where things stabilize and departments look to add, it’s a sport that’s going to be moved to more of the top of the list,” Brooks said. “Its growth nationally and at the high school level has been impressive.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Georgia is leading the nation in flag football growth, with 27 high schools adding flag football programs in 2026, adding to the more than 300 schools that played it last season.