IRVING, Texas (Oct. 12, 2023) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) highlighted today that football remains strong, as 772 collegiate institutions nationwide currently offer football on campus. The total number includes four-year colleges and universities from all NCAA divisions, the NAIA and independents, four college football teams that will take the field for the first time this season and eleven additional programs that will take to the gridiron in the next few years.
 
"With more than one million high school students playing football, there is plenty of room for expansion of the game at the collegiate level," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "Many of these colleges clearly recognize that football can play an important role in encouraging students to continue their educations by tapping their passion for the game as an incentive to enroll."
 
"No other sport contributes more to the vibrancy of a college campus than football, and we are very pleased to highlight those schools that have added our great game," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "University and college presidents clearly see the value of having programs on their campuses, and we applaud them for understanding the role football can play in the educational experience of all their students."
 
   

• Arkansas Baptist College (Little Rock, AR): NAIA, Sooner Athletic Conference (2023) – President Calvin J. McFadden Sr., Athletics Director Bill Ingram, Head Coach Richard Wilson. (Note: Second year of transition from junior college.)
• Eastern University (St. Davids, PA): NCAA Division III, Middle Atlantic Conference (2023) – President Ronald A. Matthews, Athletics Director Eric McNelley, Head Coach Billy Crocker. 
• John Melvin University (Crowley, LA):  Gulf-Atlantic Christian Athletic Alliance (2023) – President Angela Houston, Athletics Director Rocke Musgraves, Head Coach Don Lee. 
• Thomas University (Thomasville, GA): NAIA, Sun Conference (2023) – President James Sheppard, Athletics Director Rick Pearce, Head Coach Orlando Mitjans. 

 

• Anderson University (Anderson, SC): NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference (2024) – President Evans P. Whitaker, Vice President for Athletics Bert Epting, Head Coach Bobby Lamb.
• Calvin University (Grand Rapids, MI): NCAA Division III, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (2024) – President Dr. Wiebe Boer, Athletics Director Dr. Jim Timmer, Head Coach Trent Figg. 
• Centenary College of Louisiana (Shreveport, LA): NCAA Division III, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (2024) – President Christopher L. Holoman, Athletics Director David Orr, Head Coach Byron Dawson.
• New England College (Henniker, NH): NCAA Division III, Great Northeast Athletic Conference (2024) – President Dr. Wayne F. Lesperance Jr., Athletics Director Dave DeCew, Head Coach Kevin Kelly. 
• Simpson University (Redding, CA): NAIA, California Pacific Conference (2024) – President Norman D. Hall, Athletics Director Rob Harley, Head Coach Shawn Daniel.
• William Woods University (Fulton, MO): NAIA, Heart of America Athletic Conference (2024) – President Jeremy L. Moreland, Athletics Director Steve Wilson, Head Coach Julian Mendez. 

   

• Maine Maritime Academy (Castine, ME): NCAA Division III, Commonwealth Coast Conference (2025) – President Jerry Paul, Athletics Director Steve Peed, Head Coach Calvin Powell.
• Roanoke College (Salem, VA): NCAA Division III, Old Dominion Athletic Conference (2024 Club, 2025 Varsity) – President Frank Shushok, Athletics Director Curtis Campbell, Head Coach TBD. 
• Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX): NCAA Division III, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (2025) – President Dr. Charlie McCormick, Athletics Director Bill Raleigh, Head Coach TBD.
• University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Rio Grande Valley, TX): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, United Athletic Football Conference (2025) – President Guy Bailey, Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque, Head Coach Travis Bush. 
• West Virginia University Institute of Technology (Beckley, WV): NAIA, Conference TBD (Date TBD) – President T. Ramon Stuart, Athletics Director Kenneth Howell, Head Coach TBD.

Since 1978 when the NCAA changed its method for tracking attendance figures, the number of schools playing NCAA football (FBS, FCS, DII and DIII) has steadily increased by 181 schools from 484 in 1978 to 665 in 2023. Adding NAIA and independent schools playing football and schools launching programs in the coming years, there are now 772 four-year colleges and universities offering students an opportunity to play college football.
 

There are also 123 junior college football programs, 17 collegiate sprint football teams and 19 colleges and universities offering women's flag football programs as a varsity sport.
 
In the past decade alone (2013-2022), 58 football programs have been added by NCAA, NAIA or independent institutions. Universities and colleges are adding football at all levels, and administrators have developed sound plans, ensuring the new programs address the unique financial, academic and long-term objectives of their respective schools.
 
The rationale for adding football varies at each institution, and all of the decision makers who helped develop a plan for launching a program, explain that an in-depth study played a critical role in finding the right level of play and the proper financial balance. Small colleges may cite increasing enrollment and addressing gender imbalances while larger universities might highlight the role of football in raising the institution's profile and its ability to attract research grants. All mention creating a more vibrant on-campus community and connecting with alumni.
 
According to a study of five small universities published in College Planning & Management by Virginia Wesleyan University President Dr. Scott Miller and former Carlow University (PA) President Dr. Marylouise Fennell, adding sports teams and facilities, especially football and marching bands, can fuel an enrollment boost. The study found that each of the five institutions experienced a six-year increase of 26 percent or more, with one school doubling its enrollment during that period.
 



University of Texas Rio Grande Valley announced it will be launching a program in 2025, playing at the Division I Football Championship Subdivision level in the United Athletic Football Conference. The southernmost member of the University of Texas System, the school enrolls more than 32,000 students each year.
 
"Like I told the Board of Regents, our students deserve a traditional campus life experience, and this is an important step in the right direction," University of Texas Rio Grande Valley President Guy Bailey said during a 2022 press conference making the announcement that football would return. "What's exceptional about these specific campus life initiatives is that they represent academics, student life, and athletics. These areas are coming together to provide a better university experience for our students and our entire campus community."
 
Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport will start playing Division III football in 2024 as a member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference. Centenary's previous football history began with the Gents' first game in the fall of 1894 and ended in November of 1941, with a brief attempted revival in the 1960s. The team will be led by head coach Byron Dawson, who was a four-year letterman on the LSU defensive line, playing for then head coach Nick Saban.
 
"The reintroduction of football at Centenary after an absence of more than 70 years has energized the campus and the community," said President Christopher L. Holoman. "Louisiana is football country, and we are excited that Centenary will now be a destination for families looking for a fun weekend event. I have already talked to many alumni, both locally and out of town, who are planning a visit to see the team in action."
 
More than 15 schools are in various stages of the process to add football, including Chicago State, which recently moved closer to launching an FCS program after having a fundraising proposal approved. The University of Texas at Arlington moved a step closer this past spring to reinstating its program, which last played in 1985, when students recently passed a referendum requesting the university to launch a college football program. Xavier University (OH) is considering the addition of football with a decision anticipated by the end of 2023.
 
 
GROWTH IN SPRINT FOOTBALL AND WOMEN'S FLAG FOOTBALL
 
Football has also seen tremendous growth and opportunity at the collegiate level in two other areas: sprint football and women's flag football.
 
Sprint football is a full-contact sport for players weighing 178 pounds or less with the same rules as regular college football. While NCAA and NAIA football emphasize strength and body weight, sprint football values speed and agility. As described by The New York Times, sprint football is known for its "quick players" and its "fast-paced style of play."
 
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who played at Navy, and NFF Board Member and New England Patriots Owner Bob Kraft, who played at Columbia, are among some of the notable people who played sprint football.
 
Since 1934, intercollegiate student-athletes on the East Coast have benefited from participation in the sport in the nine-member Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL). The eight CSFL teams, four of which also play full varsity football, include Army West Point, Caldwell (NJ), Chestnut Hill (PA), Cornell, Mansfield (PA), Navy, Penn and Saint Thomas Aquinas (KY). Navy defeated Army, 28-21, on a late touchdown to claim the 2022 CSFL title, marking the Midshipman's second consecutive championship.
 
"The Collegiate Sprint Football League is proud to be one of the many conferences that comprise the sport of college football across the United States of America. The CSFL is well-known for the unique concept and for the high level of play," said CSFL Commissioner Dan Mara. "The addition of the Midwest Sprint Football League provides even more opportunities for high school players to continue their football careers at the collegiate level. Member institutions of the CSFL believe the sport is an important part of the overall student-athlete experience."
 
The 2022 fall season saw sprint football expand to Middle America for the first time. The addition of the separate Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL), with its own rules and championships, represented the largest single-year expansion of the sport in nearly 90 years.
 
Six private colleges and universities in the Midwest and Upper South comprised the charter members of the MSFL: Bellarmine University (KY), Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN), Fontbonne University (MO), Midway University (KY), Quincy University (IL) and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (IN).  Two additional schools, Oakland City University (IN) and Walsh University (OH), have joined the league for the 2023 season. Other institutions in the Midwest have expressed interest in joining the MSFL in the future.
 
"Students have told me that by having the chance to continue playing football at the collegiate level, they are realizing a lifelong dream to both earn a four-year degree and participate in a sport at which they excel," said Nancy Blattner, the chair of the MSFL Board of Governors. Adding sprint football to the more than 20 other sports offerings at Fontbonne has created a buzz on the campus, engaged the surrounding community, and increased our male and BIPOC population of students on campus. It's been a real win!"
 
Eight of the six MSFL members do not currently sponsor varsity football in NCAA or NAIA competition. Quincy University (IL) and Walsh University (OH) also have varsity football programs at the NCAA Division II level, and they have continued to sponsor teams at both levels of play.
 
The NAIA women's flag football league, partnering with NFL FLAG, continues with impressive growth. Building on last season with 12 NAIA schools rostering teams, this year more than doubled that total to 23 teams in 2023. This past spring, the Atlanta Falcons hosted the NAIA Women's Flag Football Finals at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for a third consecutive year. Ottawa University (KS) defeated Thomas University (GA) 25-13 to claim Its third-straight Women's Flag Football Championship.
 
The Atlantic East Conference, in partnership with the NFL and RCX Sports, along with support from the Philadelphia Eagles, have announced plans to be the first NCAA Conference to offer varsity female flag football with an anticipated start date of Spring 2025 with teams participating as a club sport this spring. Five schools will participate during the inaugural season: Centenary University (NJ), Cabrini University (PA), Immaculata University (PA), Marymount University (VA), and Neumann University (PA).
 
 
In the near future, the International Olympic Committee is expected to rule on whether men's and women's flag football will be among the sports added to the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
   

• Hilbert College (Hamburg, New York): NCAA Division III, Independent

 
   

• Bluefield State College (Bluefield, West Virginia): NCAA Division II, Independent
• Keystone College (La Plume, Pennsylvania): NCAA Division III, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
• Judson University (Elgin, Illinois): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Lincoln University (Oakland, California): Independent
• Mount Marty University (Yankton, South Dakota): NAIA, Great Plains Athletic Conference
• Post University (Waterbury, Connecticut): NCAA Division II, Independent
• University of Fort Lauderdale (Lauderhill, Florida): National Christian College Athletic Association

 
   

• Barton College (Wilson, North Carolina): NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference
• Erskine College (Due West, South Carolina): NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference
• Florida Memorial University (Miami Gardens, Florida): NAIA, Sun Conference
• Madonna University (Livonia, Michigan): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Roosevelt University (Chicago, Illinois): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association

 
   

• Clarke University (Dubuque, Iowa): NAIA, Heart of America Athletic Conference
• Franklin Pierce University (Rindge, New Hampshire): NCAA Division II, Northeast-10 Conference
• St. Thomas University (Miami Gardens, Florida): NAIA, Sun Conference
• Wheeling University (Wheeling, West Virginia): NCAA Division II, Mountain East Conference

    

• Allen University (Columbia, South Carolina): NCAA Division II, Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• Alvernia University (Reading, Pennsylvania): NCAA Division III, Middle Atlantic Conference
• Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Indiana): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Keiser University (West Palm Beach, Florida): NAIA, Sun Conference
• Lawrence Technological University (Southfield, Michigan): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Ottawa University-Arizona (Surprise, Arizona): NAIA, Sooner Athletic Conference
• University of New England (Biddeford, Maine): NCAA Division III, Commonwealth Coast Football

 
   

• Dean College (Franklin, Massachusetts): NCAA Division III, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
• St. Andrews University (Laurinburg, North Carolina): NAIA, Mid-South Conference
• Texas Wesleyan University (Fort Worth, Texas): NAIA, Sooner Athletic Conference
• University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, Alabama): NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, American Athletic Conference

 
   

• Davenport University (Grand Rapids, Michigan): NCAA Division II, Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• University of Texas Permian Basin (Odessa, Texas): NCAA Division II, Lone Star Conference
• University of West Florida (Pensacola, Florida): NCAA Division II, Gulf South Conference

 
   

• East Tennessee State University (Johnson City, Tennessee): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Southern Conference
• Finlandia University (Hancock, Michigan): NCAA Division III, Upper Midwest Athletic Conference. (Note: Entire School Subsequently Closed in May of 2023.)
• Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw, Georgia): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, ASUN Conference (Note: Joining the NCAA Division I Bowl Championship Subdivision, Conference USA, in 2024.)
• Lyon College (Batesville, Arkansas): NAIA, Sooner Athletic Conference

 
   

• Arizona Christian University (Glendale, Arizona): NAIA, Sooner Athletic Conference
• College of Idaho (Caldwell, Idaho): NAIA, Frontier Conference
• George Fox University (Newberg, Oregon): NCAA Division III, Northwest Conference
• Limestone University (Gaffney, South Carolina): NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference
• Missouri Baptist University (St. Louis, Missouri): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Southeastern University (Lakeland, Florida): NAIA, Sun Conference

 
   

• Alderson Broaddus University (Philippi, West Virginia): NCAA Division II, Mountain East Conference (Note: Entire School Subsequently Closed in 2022.)
• Berry College (Mount Berry, Georgia): NCAA Division III, Southern Athletic Association
• Hendrix College (Conway, Arkansas): NCAA Division III, Southern Athletic Association
• Houston Christian University (Houston, Texas): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Southland Conference
• Mercer University (Macon, Georgia): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Southern Conference
• Oklahoma Baptist University (Shawnee, Oklahoma): NCAA Division II, Great American Conference
• Reinhardt University (Waleska, Georgia): NAIA, Mid-South Conference
• Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas): NCAA Division III, American Southwest Conference
• Stetson University (DeLand, Florida): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Pioneer Football League
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina): NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, American Athletic Conference
• Warner University (Lake Wales, Florida): NAIA, Sun Conference

    

• Bluefield College (Bluefield, Virginia): NAIA, Mid-South Conference
• Misericordia University (Dallas, Pennsylvania): NCAA Division III, Middle Atlantic Conference
• Point University (West Point, Georgia): NAIA, Mid-South Conference
• Wayland Baptist University (Plainview, Texas):  NAIA, Sooner Athletic Conference

 
   

• Ave Maria University (Ave Maria, Florida): NAIA, Sun Conference
• Concordia University Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, Michigan): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Presentation College (Aberdeen, South Dakota): NAIA, North Star Athletic Association (Note: Entire School Subsequently Closed in 2022.)
• Siena Heights University (Adrian, Michigan):  NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Stevenson University (Owings Mills, Maryland): NCAA Division III, Middle Atlantic Conference
• University of Texas at San Antonio (San Antonio, Texas): NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, American Athletic Conference
• Virginia University of Lynchburg (Lynchburg, Virginia): National Christian College Athletic Association

 
   

• Georgia State University (Atlanta, Georgia): NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Sun Belt Conference
• Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Southland Conference
• Lindsey Wilson College (Columbia, Kentucky): NAIA, Mid-South Conference
• Notre Dame College (South Euclid, Ohio): NCAA Division II, Mountain East Conference
• Pacific University (Forest Grove, Oregon): NCAA Division III, Northwest Conference
• University of South Alabama (Mobile, Alabama): NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Sun Belt Conference

 
   

• Anna Maria College (Paxton, Massachusetts): NCAA Division III, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
• Castleton University (Castleton, Vermont): NCAA Division III, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
• Old Dominion University (Norfolk, Virginia): NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Sun Belt Conference
• University of New Haven (West Haven, Connecticut): NCAA Division II, Northeast-10 Conference
• University of the Incarnate Word (San Antonio, Texas): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Southland Conference

 
   

• Campbell University (Buies Creek, North Carolina): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Big South Conference
• College of St. Scholastica (Duluth, Minnesota): NCAA Division III, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
• Colorado State University-Pueblo (Pueblo, Colorado): NCAA Division II, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
• Dordt University (Sioux Center, Iowa): NAIA, Great Plains Athletic Conference
• Grand View University (Des Moines, Iowa): NAIA, Heart of America Athletic Conference
• Kentucky Christian University (Grayson, Kentucky): NAIA, Mid-South Conference
• Lake Erie College (Painesville, Ohio): NCAA Division II, Great Midwest Athletic Conference
• Lincoln University (Lincoln University, Pennsylvania): NCAA Division II, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association