Jets and ECAC launch largest collegiate women's flag football league in the US
Ashlea Klam tries to evade a defender during a training session for her flag football team at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, Fla., in 2023. Credit: AP/Rebecca Blackwell
Women’s flag football will debut for LIU in 2026. And now the Sharks will be among 15 collegiate teams getting a league to play in and grant money to fund their programs as part of a partnership with the Jets.
The NFL team announced Tuesday that the Betty Wold Johnson Foundation will extend a $1 million grant to the ECAC, an investment directed by Jets owner Woody Johnson. It will go toward the launch of the Jets ECAC Women’s Flag Football League, which becomes the largest women’s collegiate flag football circuit in the country.
“Empowering young women through football has always been central to our mission,” Woody Johnson, the son of the late Betty Wold Johnson, said in a statement. “Partnering with the ECAC to launch this league creates a clear pathway for student-athletes to compete, grow and lead — on the field and beyond.”
The Jets have played an integral part in the arrival of girls flag football on Long Island and elsewhere in the New York/New Jersey area.
Their 7-on-7 collegiate league will feature regular-season play from February through April. A big venue has been booked for the championship game during the first weekend in May — MetLife Stadium.
“The Jets ECAC Women’s Flag Football League builds on the success of our high school girls’ flag program, which opened doors for thousands of athletes across the region,” Johnson said. “Now, we’re taking the next step: collegiate play, Olympic dreams and a future professional league.”
Back in July, LIU announced that Jimmy Barbarise would be the team’s inaugural coach. The Centereach native had coached the University of Tampa’s team for three seasons. He used to play in the Long Island Flag Football League and is a member of the Long Island Flag Football Hall of Fame.
LIU will be joined by three other schools in the state — Mercy, Dominican and Union.
Allegheny, Caldwell, Eastern, Fairleigh Dickinson, Franciscan, Kean, Mercyhurst, Montclair State, Mount St. Mary’s, Penn State Schuylkill and Sweet Briar fill out the league’s roster of commitments.
Each school will be getting some of the grant money to offset the costs for having a team.
“The launch of the Jets ECAC Women’s Flag Football League represents a significant milestone for women’s sports,” said Troy Vincent Sr., the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations.
The new league will stage a media day event at MetLife Stadium in February. A USA Football talent ID camp will be held the next day. The sport will make its Olympic debut for women and men at the 2028 L.A. Games.
“This league is more than just games,” Jets flag football advisor Callie Brownson said. “It’s about creating opportunities and building a future for women in football.”
