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Get in on the Ground Floor of Mississippi’s Collegiate Flag Football Scene
Mississippi’s college athletics landscape is embracing the rapid rise of women’s flag football with innovative moves from both Millsaps College and Mississippi Valley State University.
At Millsaps, the Majors are set to make history as the first Mississippi school to field a collegiate women’s flag football team. The program will begin competition as a club sport in spring 2026 before elevating to varsity status in spring 2027, becoming Millsaps’ 19th varsity sport. The addition gives female athletes on campus a new competitive platform and aligns with growing demand for the sport across the country.
“This is a historic moment for Millsaps and for women’s athletics in Mississippi,” said athletic director (and previous Inferno podcast guest) Justin LeBlanc. He continued: “By investing in women’s flag football, we’re creating new pathways for student-athletes to shine, to lead and to inspire. We’re committed to providing equal opportunities and being at the forefront of this exciting movement in collegiate sports.”
Elyse Warren, currently on the Millsaps basketball team, has expressed excitement about the addition. “For women like me who’ve dreamed of this opportunity, Millsaps is making it real,” Warren commended, “This program means we can play the sport we love at the highest level and be part of something bigger, a movement that inspires future generations.”
As part of a strategic realignment, MVSU is discontinuing women’s soccer while adding women’s flag football and club golf effective immediately. Their move reflects their ongoing effort to optimize resources while maintaining high-caliber athletics.
MVSU director of athletics Dr. Alecia Shields-Gadson noted that this realignment will position the university alongside a broader movement nationwide as women’s flag football expands, especially with an eye toward its upcoming 2028 Olympic debut.
