NEWBURGH, N.Y. – Mount Saint Mary College and Director of Athletics Shane Bell are pleased to announce the addition of women's flag football as a club sport for this coming spring season.

"We are beyond excited to announce the addition of Women's Flag Football at Mount Saint Mary College!" said Bell. "Flag Football is one of the fastest growing emerging sports in the country and the popularity of high school flag football in the Hudson Valley in both Section I and Section IX has exploded in recent years.  There has been a ton of support for women's flag football on campus so this was the perfect fit for MSMC Athletics as we look to increase our offerings and provide additional opportunities for female student-athletes". 

Men's and women's golf Head Coach, Andy Crane, will be leading the program for it's opening season in 2025.

"It's so exciting for Mount Saint Mary to be one of the leaders in bringing the college game to our area and giving our local female athletes and beyond an opportunity to play at the next level" added Head Coach Andy Crane. "With football's popularity already so high and with flag football coming to the Olympics in a few years I think participation is just going to skyrocket. I can't wait to see where our program is going to go and just very honored to be part of it."

High school girls' flag football is experiencing rapid growth as a sanctioned sport across the United States, providing opportunities for female athletes to participate in a fast-paced, skill-driven alternative to traditional tackle football. As of 2023, over 20 states, including Florida, Georgia, and California, have officially recognized girls' flag football as a varsity sport, with participation numbers exceeding 15,000 high school athletes nationwide. At the collegiate level, the sport continues to expand, with the NAIA leading the charge through initiatives like the NFL FLAG Women's College Program. These programs create pathways for high school athletes to transition to competitive play in college, with scholarship opportunities further encouraging participation. The surge in interest reflects growing efforts to promote equity in sports and increase access to diverse athletic opportunities for young women

Skyline Conference Commissioner Melissa Reilly shared her thoughts on the Mount's newest sport: "It is so exciting that Mount Saint Mary College is adding the sport of women's flag football to the campus' athletic offerings.  The sport continues to grow at the youth and high school level, and by adding this sport, Mount Saint Mary College is helping to expand opportunities for young women to compete in intercollegiate athletics. The Skyline Conference is dedicated to assisting institutions in their efforts to expand their sport offerings and we commend them for paving the way in the sport of women's flag football. We will work closely with the administration on both campuses as the conference continues to discuss the opportunities to expand the sport on a conference-wide level".

Mount Saint Mary College will be hosting its first ever Athletics Open House this Sunday, December 8^th from 1:00 – 3:00 PM in the Kaplan Center. Women's flag football is one of the many sports our school has to offer and will be discussed at the event for anyone interested in attending.