Eastern Connecticut State launches New England’s first D-III women’s flag football team

Eastern Connecticut State University is starting the first Division III women’s flag football program in New England this fall, pairing the debut with one of the nation’s first dedicated turf fields for the emerging NCAA sport. The Warriors’ inaugural season also puts Eastern among a small group of Connecticut schools offering varsity women’s flag football.

Why it matters: - Eastern Connecticut State University is giving New England its first Division III women’s flag football program. - The Warriors will compete on one of the first dedicated turf fields built for the sport, a sign the game is moving from club and startup status toward broader varsity infrastructure. - The launch gives Eastern a visible early-mover position in a sport the NCAA added to its Emerging Sports for Women program in 2026.

What happened: - Eastern said the inaugural varsity women’s flag football team will open in fall 2026. - The program is the first D-III flag football team in New England. - The Warriors will play at the Mansfield Athletic Outdoor Complex in Willimantic, Connecticut. - The new field was completed in August. - The 80-yard-long, 79,550-square-foot synthetic field was built with markings designed primarily for flag football.

The details: - The field includes a new scoreboard and bleachers. - The facility carries Eastern’s new athletics insignia. - The same field will also be used by Eastern’s men’s and women’s club rugby teams. - Eastern is the only New England school with a Division III women’s flag football program. - The Warriors are the first women’s flag football team in the Little East Conference. - Eastern is one of only three varsity women’s flag football programs in Connecticut. - Post University and the University of Bridgeport field the other two programs, both at Division II. - Head coach Andy Crane leads the team. - Crane is a former Arena League professional football player and a former member of the New York Jets front office. - Eastern says the roster includes players from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. - The team also added transfers from South Carolina and the Midwest. - Most of the roster is made up of first-year students. - Several players bring high school and travel flag football experience. - Some players arrive as state champions or player-of-the-year honorees. - Mariah Hill, a senior criminology major from West Hartford, is one of the upperclassmen on the roster. - Women’s flag football is Eastern’s 21st varsity program and 12th women’s varsity program. - Eastern added women’s golf last fall before adding flag football.

Between the lines: - The field build suggests Eastern is treating women’s flag football as a long-term varsity investment, not a pilot project. - The program’s early roster mix points to a national recruiting footprint, even for a school launching a brand-new team. - Eastern is trying to establish itself as a regional standard-setter while the sport is still in its rapid growth phase. - Athletic Director Jason Mlodzianowski said the launch reflects “progressive and positive energy” across Eastern, underscoring the university’s broader push to expand women’s athletics.

What’s next: - The Warriors will begin their inaugural season in spring 2027. - Crane said Eastern intends to be “at the forefront” as women’s flag football continues to expand nationally. - Eastern expects the new field and first season to help shape future growth for the program and the sport on campus.

The bottom line: - Eastern Connecticut State is not just adding a team. It is building one of the earliest varsity women’s flag football homes in the region and staking out an early lead in a fast-growing NCAA sport.

More information: Eastern Connecticut State University