The University of Georgia officially approved the formation of a women’s flag football club team in May. Tryouts for the club team will be held during the fall 2024 semester, and tournaments will follow soon after.
Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the nation, according to Caroline Caplinger, who is the founder of the UGA women’s flag football organization. The sport will be introduced in the 2028 Olympics. As the interest in flag football continues to grow, several colleges and universities around the country are creating club teams, even awarding scholarships to competitive flag players.
Caplinger, who is also a UGA graduate assistant for competitive sports, said she met a handful of athletic women through Intramural Sports League flag football and knew they “could take it to the next level.”
“That’s our goal, is to become an official sports club on campus,” Caplinger said. “Nationwide, the sport is growing. Girls can get scholarships to play. So, we just wanted to be able to start the foundation here for flag football.”
The University of Georgia officially approved the formation of a women’s flag football club team in May. Tryouts for the club team will be held during the fall 2024 semester, and tournaments will follow soon after.
Alongside Caplinger, UGA students Naelie Cook, Avery Scott, Brenna Hehir and Katie Northernor worked together to pave the way for the new club team. Several of them presented in front of the Club Sport Executive Committee at the Sport Club Affiliation Presentation in April.
The team will play in the NIRSA Championship Series in the fall, participate in Nationals sponsored by the NFL flag and play in the Women’s College Flag Football League in the spring 2025 semester. Caplinger says the team is also planning to host home games in the fall.