IRVING, Texas (Aug. 12, 2025) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) reported today that football continues to expand, with 777 colleges and universities nationwide now offering football programs. This impressive total includes institutions across all NCAA divisions, the NAIA, and independent schools with four new programs launching this fall and nine more on the way.

"The growth we're seeing reflects more than just love for the game — it's proof of football's unique ability to inspire young people to pursue higher education," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "When a campus adds football, it creates new opportunities for students, strengthens community bonds, and energizes school spirit in a way few things can match."
 
The expansion of college football is not a recent phenomenon but a continuation of a long-standing trend. Since 1978, when the NCAA began tracking attendance figures, the number of schools playing NCAA football has increased by 189, growing from 484 to 673 institutions by 2025. Including NAIA and independent schools, and accounting for upcoming programs, the total now stands at 777 colleges and universities offering football.
 
"Football continues to be one of the most powerful tools a college can have to bring people together," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "Whether it's sparking enrollment growth, connecting alumni, or uniting an entire region, the sport has an unmatched ability to enhance campus life and leave a lasting impact."
 
This surge in football programs is a clear reflection of the sport's enduring popularity and its capacity to drive significant benefits for colleges. In the last decade alone (2015-2025), 52 football programs have been added by NCAA, NAIA, or independent institutions, illustrating the continued demand for the sport at all levels.
 
Impact on Enrollment and Campus Life

Football's appeal goes beyond the excitement on the field. It plays a critical role in enhancing student life, boosting enrollment, and fostering community engagement. Small colleges often cite football as a strategic tool for increasing enrollment and addressing gender imbalances. Larger universities, on the other hand, emphasize the sport's role in raising the institution's profile, attracting research grants, and creating a vibrant campus atmosphere that appeals to both students and alumni. Moreover, football programs can serve as a powerful tool for alumni relations, driving engagement and donations, and enhancing the overall reputation of the institution.
 
New Programs on the Horizon


This year, four institutions—Maine Maritime Academy, University of Rio Grande (OH), Roanoke College (VA), and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)—are set to field football teams for the first time. These new programs are poised to energize their respective campuses, offering students new opportunities for engagement and building stronger connections with alumni and local communities.
 
UTRGV, which was created in 2013 by the Texas Legislature, with the aim of expanding educational opportunities in South Texas by merging UT Brownsville and UT Pan American, has seen numerous positive developments since announcing that it would field a football team in 2021. With 34,000-plus students expected to enroll this fall, coupled with strong community support, UTRGV has successfully landed a spot at the Football Championship Subdivision level in the Southland Conference.
 
Chasse Conque, the senior vice president and director of athletics at UTRGV, explained the key moment in the process came when the student government association voted to add football, which provided the university an opportunity to look at the expansion of the entire athletics department, including swimming, diving, marching bands and the Vaqueros spirit programs.
 
"The growth of our enrollment since our students voted to add division one college football has been remarkable," said Conque. "It's been an aggressive plan built around football but also celebrating the traditions of the other sports that have competed here at the institution for many years."
 
Conque cited a group of 34 members of the Football Founders Society who each committed at least $50,000, raising $1.75 million, and the UTRGV Foundation, which made a $1 million gift, as two groups who played a key role along with the vote of the student body. The plan has included a $180 million investment in 13 major capital projects with the football stadium and Vaqueros Performance Center, a 50,000-square foot practice facility with two full-size fields, being a big piece.
 
"It's a huge undertaking, but the opportunity and the beauty of it is that it's such a huge undertaking it brings your entire university community together," said Conque. "It brings your students, your faculty, your staff, all of your campus partners that athletics relies on so much, and football just takes that to the next level."
 
Spread across four counties and covering nearly two million people, UTRGV has generated an enormous amount of interest and pride in the region. Season tickets and luxury suites are sold out, tailgating opportunities are almost at full capacity, and UTRGV branded apparel can be seen across in retail shops around the valley.
 
"There is a true pride and passion about being from and living in the RGV that's extremely special," said Conque. "You put football in the mix, and it has become a real unifier for all the communities that we serve… Seeing everyone band together to support Division One college football has been extremely special."
 
Looking ahead, another nine schools are preparing to introduce football programs. Azusa Pacific University (CA), Chicago State University, Lackawanna College (PA), Mount Mercy University (IA), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (IN), Schreiner University (TX), Whittier College (CA), Shawnee State University (OH), West Virginia University Institute of Technology are all in various stages of launching their teams, with seven of the nine planning to take the field in 2026.
     

• Maine Maritime Academy* (Castine, ME): NCAA Division III, Commonwealth Coast Conference – President Craig Johnson, Athletics Director Bill Mottola, Head Coach Nick Sheehan.
• University of Rio Grande (Rio Grande, OH): NAIA, Appalachian Athletic Conference –   President Ryan Smith; Athletics Director Jeff Lanham; Head Coach Mark Thurston. 
• Roanoke College (Salem, VA): NCAA Division III, Old Dominion Athletic Conference – President Dr. Frank Shushok, Athletics Director Curtis Campbell, Head Coach Bryan Stinespring
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Rio Grande Valley, TX): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Southland Conference – President Dr. Guy Bailey, Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque, Head Coach Travis Bush.

 

• Azusa Pacific University* (Azusa, CA): NCAA Division III, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – President Dr. Adam J. Morris, Athletics Director Gary Pine, Head Coach AJ Parnell. (2026)
• Chicago State University (Chicago, IL): NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, Northeast Conference – President Zaldwaynaka Scott, Athletics Director Dr. Monique Carroll, Head Coach Bobby Rome II.  (2026)
• Lackawanna College (Scranton, PA): NCAA Division II, Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference – President Dr. Jill Murray, Athletics Director Erik Larson, Head Coach Mark Duda. (2026)
• Mount Mercy University (Cedar Rapids, IA): NAIA, Heart of America Athletic Conference – President Dr. Todd A. Olson, Athletics Director Paul Gavin, Head Coach MD Daniels. (2026)
• Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (St. Mary's, IN): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association – President Brennan J. Randolph, Athletics Director Kevin Lanke, Head Coach Blaine Powell. (2026)
• Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX): NCAA Division III, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference – President Dr. Charlie McCormick, Athletics Director Bill Raleigh, Head Coach Keith Allen. (2026)
• Whittier College* (Whittier, CA): NCAA Division III, Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference – President Dr. Kristine E. Dillon, Athletics Director Rock Carter, Head Coach Cory White. (2026)
• Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, OH): NCAA Division II, Mountain East Conference – President Dr. Eric Andrew Braun, Athletics Director Gerald Cadogan, Head Coach TBD. (2028)
• West Virginia University Institute of Technology (Beckley, WV): NAIA, Conference TBD – President Dr. T. Ramon Stuart, Athletics Director Kenneth Howell, Head Coach TBD.

 

Expanding Options to Play College Football
 
There are also 123 junior college football programs, 16 collegiate sprint football teams and 105 colleges and universities on tap to offer women's flag football programs as either a club or varsity sport.

Sprint football is a full-contact sport for players weighing 178 pounds or less with the same rules as regular college football. Since 1934, intercollegiate student-athletes on the East Coast have benefited from the opportunity to play in the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL), which has nine members. The Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL), which boasts seven teams, launched in 2022, expanding the sport to the middle of the country and bringing the total of sprint football teams to 16 nationwide.

Flag football also continues to build on the momentum of being added by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to the LA28 Olympic sports program. Played by an estimated 20 million people in more than 100 countries across six continents, flag football has become the most inclusive and accessible format of football. The game is currently played by people of all ages and genders, with women and girls driving some of the sport's fastest growth.

 

   

• Anderson University (Anderson, SC): NCAA Division II, South Atlantic Conference
• Calvin University (Grand Rapids, MI): NCAA Division III, Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association
• Centenary College of Louisiana (Shreveport, LA): NCAA Division III, Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
• New England College (Henniker, NH): NCAA Division III, Great Northeast Athletic Conference
• Simpson University (Redding, CA): NAIA, California Pacific Conference
• William Woods University (Fulton, MO): NAIA, Heart of America Athletic Conference

 
 

• Arkansas Baptist College (Little Rock, AR): NAIA, Sooner Athletic Conference
• Eastern University (St. Davids, PA): NCAA Division III, Middle Atlantic Conference
• John Melvin University (Crowley, LA):  Gulf-Atlantic Christian Athletic Alliance
• Thomas University (Thomasville, GA): NAIA, Sun Conference

 
 

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

 
   

• Bluefield State College (Bluefield, West Virginia): NCAA Division II, Independent
• Judson University (Elgin, Illinois): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association
• Keystone College (La Plume, Pennsylvania): NCAA Division III, Eastern Collegiate Football Conference
• 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

* School previously had a football program.
† School subsequently discontinued program.