Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

John Carroll University Athletics

home of the Blue Streaks
Women's Flag Football graphic

Women's Flag Football Added as 26th Varsity Sport at John Carroll

| By: JCUSID

The rich tradition of JCU Football will now include the opportunity for women to compete

UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS – The tradition of football at John Carroll University has just deepened.

Since 1920, John Carroll Football has been a prestigious powerhouse at JCU. Beyond plenty of success on the field, JCU Football has consistently graduated excellent men who have set the world on fire. Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, women will have the opportunity to add to the rich history of football in University Heights. 

Women's Flag Football has been added as the 26th varsity sport at John Carroll, beginning competition in Spring 2027. Women's Flag Football will be part of JCU Football under the program's umbrella.

The sport of Women's Flag Football is one of the most rapidly growing sports in the country. A total of 39 states offer girls flag football, including 17 states that officially sanction the sport. The OHSAA announced the introduction of the sport as a sponsored championship event in July 2025. Over 69,000 high schoolers participated in the sport in 2024-25. In Ohio, 121 high schools offer the sport. 

"We are proud to announce Women's Flag Football as the 26th varsity sport at John Carroll, with competition beginning in the spring of 2027," said Vice President of Athletics Brian Polian '97. "Women's Flag Football is one of the fastest-growing sports across the nation. High school athletic associations throughout the country have been sanctioning it, including here in Ohio. The time was right for the Blue Streaks to establish this program and provide young women the opportunity to compete on our campus." 

Felicia Teeter will serve as the Head Coach of JCU Women's Flag Football. Teeter was recently hired as Running Backs Coach for JCU Football and will remain in that role. Teeter previously built Women's Flag Football programs at Bethel University and Pratt Community College in Kansas.

"I'm very excited to help bring Women's Flag Football to John Carroll," said Teeter. "The tradition of football here is extremely special, and adding the flag program allows us to share that with a new group of athletes. I look forward to mentoring and developing them while also demonstrating to them that they can have a future in football."

After building two programs, Teeter is well-positioned to lead the Blue Streaks. 

"Coach Felicia Teeter, our running backs coach, will serve as the inaugural head flag coach and is experienced in building programs from the ground up," said Polian. "She will be an excellent leader for our first team, and we are blessed to have her. Given our storied history in football and our connections throughout every level of the sport, the decision to start this program was an easy one. We cannot wait to see the Streaks take the field a year from now!"

At the 2026 NCAA Convention, the NCAA added women's flag football to the Emerging Sports for Women program. This announcement began the pathway to recognition as an NCAA-sanctioned championship sport. 

All 32 NFL teams support youth flag football initiatives. Locally, the Cleveland Browns have spearheaded the development of the sport since 2021 alongside Northeast Ohio Flag Football. Bob Berwald, the Co-Founder of NEO Flag, has two daughters who currently compete on the JCU Track & Field program, Alexis and Breanna. Alexis is one of the women included photographed for this news release.

At the Division III level, JCU will join several other Ohio schools that have added the sport, including Baldwin Wallace, Mount Union, Wittenberg, and Heidelberg. A host of schools in New York and Pennsylvania also offer the sport.

With a coach and budget in place, John Carroll University is prepared to begin a competitive program quickly. The Blue Streaks will launch the program with varsity games in Spring 2027 at Don Shula Stadium. Women's Flag Football is the 14th women's sport at JCU.

"Women's flag football creates new opportunities for students to lead, compete, and grow at John Carroll," said President-Elect Carolyn Noll Sorg. "We're excited to welcome these student-athletes into the Blue Streak community and see how they will shape the next generation of our football program." 

John Carroll has displayed a dedication to adding opportunities for female student-athletes to compete in the Blue & Gold over the last half-decade.

Women's Flag Football is the third women's varsity sport that John Carroll has added in the last four years. Women's Wrestling began competition in 2023, and Field Hockey will be christened as a varsity sport this fall. 

Interested current JCU students or incoming students should complete the Interest Form below. An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 5 at 1 pm in the AWE Meeting Room. In the meantime, any questions should be directed to wflagfootball@jcu.edu.

INTEREST FORM LINK
Print Friendly Version

Related Videos

Now Playing:

Related Stories

Sponsors