IRVING, Texas (Sept. 9, 2026) – The National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame (NFF) reported today that football continues to expand, with 778 colleges and universities nationwide now offering football programs. The growth continues with 17 institutions across all NCAA divisions, the NAIA and independent schools launching programs in 2026 or announcing plans to take the field in the coming years.
 
"The continued growth of college football is a tremendous testament to the enduring appeal of our game," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "Ten programs are taking the field this fall, with seven more on the way, creating hundreds of new opportunities for young people to pursue a college education while continuing to play the game they love. Every new program means more student-athletes experiencing the lessons, friendships and opportunities that make college football so special."
 
The 2026 season marks a banner year for college football growth, with 10 institutions taking the field with new or reinstated programs, the most in a single year since 2013. The 2026 institutions include Andrew College (GA), Lackawanna College (PA) and Monroe University (NY), three former junior college programs making the transition to four-year football. Two others, Azusa Pacific University (CA) and Whittier College (CA), are bringing football back after previously discontinuing their programs. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (IN) is making the transition from sprint football to traditional football. Chicago State University (IL), Mount Mercy University (IA), Schreiner University (TX) and Trinity College of Florida round out the 10 programs taking the field in 2026. Seven more schools listed below will begin play in 2027 and beyond.
 
"Football can be a powerful asset for colleges and universities looking to strengthen their institutions," said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. "We continue to hear from campus leaders about the impact it can have on enrollment and retention, alumni engagement, school spirit and connections with the surrounding community. Seeing schools across the country invest in football, whether launching a program, bringing one back or expanding to a new level, demonstrates the value they believe the game can bring to their campuses."
 
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 194, growing from 484 to 678 institutions by 2026. Including NAIA and independent schools, and accounting for upcoming programs, the total now stands at 778 colleges and universities offering football.
 
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, 62 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. Small colleges often cite the sport as a strategic tool for increasing enrollment and addressing gender imbalances, while larger universities point to its ability to raise an institution's profile and create a vibrant campus atmosphere. Across all levels, football can strengthen an institution's identity and provide a powerful rallying point for students, alumni and the surrounding community.
 
Whether launching football for the first time, making the transition from the junior college ranks or restoring a program, the schools are making significant investments in the game and creating hundreds of new opportunities for student-athletes. Just as importantly, they are turning to football as a way to bolster enrollment and retention, energize campus life, engage alumni and strengthen connections with their surrounding communities.
 
The Whittier Example: Why Whittier Brought Football Back
 
Three years after Whittier College committed to rebuilding enrollment and strengthening its fiscal health, 103 student-athletes are on campus preparing for the return of the Poet football program. For Whittier College President Kristine Dillon, their presence signals success in helping to rebuild enrollment and strengthen the College's financial future.
 
Whittier, which first fielded a football team in 1907, faced enrollment and financial challenges similar to many small colleges nationwide. In 2022, the College discontinued several athletic programs, including football, to reduce expenses.
 
Whittier's enrollment had fallen from roughly 1,700 students before the pandemic to fewer than 700. Dillon developed a five- to six-year strategic plan focused on growing enrollment and fundraising. Almost immediately, alumni encouraged her to restore a football tradition that included NFF College Football Hall of Fame coach Don Coryell, Pro Football Hall of Fame coach George Allen, and U.S. President and NFF Gold Medal recipient Richard Nixon.
 
"I needed people to trust that Whittier was the same school they cared about," Dillon said. "I needed to improve morale, and football was a big part of what many people thought showed it was the college they knew and loved. So, in some ways, it was symbolic of Whittier's past connecting to its future."
 
Investing in the return of the football program is part of the broader strategy to rebuild enrollment, strengthen fundraising and restore confidence.
 
"Bringing football back confirms Whittier's resilience," Dillon said. "For small colleges today, it's important to be able to show you've got a plan and it's got momentum."
 
Whittier needed approximately $850,000 upfront to restart football properly, a target alumni and trustees exceeded, and separately raised more than $500,000 to renovate the George Allen Fitness Center, pushing the initial investment beyond $1.3 million.
 
The investment is already producing measurable enrollment benefits. Whittier recruited 35 freshmen during a developmental year without games, allowing new coach Cory White to build his staff and roster. The 103 football student-athletes are widely engaged in campus life today and would likely not have otherwise enrolled. Overall enrollment has climbed to approximately 950, with entering classes increasing 15% to 20% annually during Dillon's three years. The goal is a sustainable enrollment of 1,400.
 
The return of Poet football has also energized alumni, improved morale and signaled growth rather than retrenchment.
 
"We're not measuring the wins and losses in this first year. We're measuring what we've accomplished just to get here," Dillon said. "Of course, we're going to be enthusiastic for wins but what has already happened off the field has solidified Whittier's future, and that's what we're most proud of."

The Lackawanna Example: From Junior College Football to NCAA Division II
 
Lackawanna College's move from junior college athletics to NCAA Division II football represents the next step in a broader transformation that has been underway at the institution for nearly a decade. The Scranton, Pennsylvania-based college began accepting students into bachelor's degree programs in 2017 and has since added master's degrees, helping drive enrollment growth of nearly 40 percent over the past decade. For Lackawanna President Dr. Jill Murray, transitioning athletics to the four-year level represents a natural progression.
 
"There's a lot of connective tissue," Murray said. "The move from associate degrees to bachelor's degrees was very intentional. Bachelor's to also adding master's degrees was very intentional. The move to adding different centers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania was intentional, and a lot of that is tied to athletics."
 
The transition requires a significant investment. Lackawanna already had football infrastructure and a program dating to 1993, but Murray estimates approximately $1.6 million in new expenses for additional sports, full-time coaches, staffing and NCAA administrative and compliance requirements.
 
"Athletics is a big part of the college experience," Murray said. "It helps with enrollment. It helps with retention, and students like to come to a college where they have some great options…. Students leave traditionally after two years with us on the JUCO side. Now they're going to stay for four, maybe five years. So, retention also played a big factor in the decision."
 
The potential enrollment and retention returns are significant. Lackawanna had roughly 200-250 student-athletes last year and expects 300-350 this year, with a goal of 400-600 within five years. The transition will also place Lackawanna in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), providing the Falcons with stable regional competition and natural rivalries against established programs such as Bloomsburg, East Stroudsburg and West Chester.
 
For other college presidents, Murray cautions against viewing football and athletics as an enrollment cure-all, instead seeing them as one component of a broader strategy for institutional growth.
 
"Athletics is not a silver bullet," Murray said. "It can't be your only growth strategy…I just like to highlight the fact that football is a crown jewel. We value football, love football."
 
Looking ahead, another seven schools are preparing to add or expand football. Bismarck State College (ND), Calumet College of St. Joseph (IN), Midway University (KY), Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TX), Shawnee State University (OH), Stillman College (AL) and West Virginia University Institute of Technology (WV) are all in various stages of launching, reinstating or transitioning their football programs, with four of the seven planning to take the field in 2027.

   

• Andrew College† Cuthbert, GA: NAIA, Southern States Athletic Conference – President Dr. William "Rusty" Kennedy, Athletics Director Brian Skortz, Head Coach Nick Garrett. (2026)

 

• 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, beginning in 2027 – 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 Ross. (2026)

 

• Monroe University† (New Rochelle, NY): NCAA Division II, Northeast 10 Conference – President Marc Jerome, Athletics Director Luis Melendez, Head Coach Kevin Pulley Jr. (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, American Southwest Conference – President Dr. Charlie McCormick, Athletics Director Bill Raleigh, Head Coach Keith Allen. (2026)

 

• Trinity College of Florida (Trinity, FL): NAIA, Independent – President Dr. Christopher Gates, Athletics Director Bryan Johnson, Head Coach Takashi Walker. (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)

   

• Bismarck State College (Bismarck, ND): NAIA, Frontier Conference – President Dr. Brian Kalk, Athletics Director Jason Harris, Head Coach Chris Stutzriem. (2027)

 

• Calumet College of St. Joseph‡ (Hammond, IN): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association – President Dr. Ron Tulley, Athletics Director David Lopez, Head Coach Jason Novak. (2027)

 

• Midway University‡ (Midway, KY): NAIA, Mid-States Football Association – President Dr. John P. Marsden, Athletics Director Heath Morgan, Head Coach Krae Kelso. (2027)

 

• Texas A&M University-Texarkana (Texarkana, TX): NCAA Division II, Lone Star Conference – President Dr. Ross Alexander, Athletics Director Ryan Wall, Head Coach Joshua Eargle. (2027)

 

• Shawnee State University (Portsmouth, OH): NCAA Division II, Mountain East Conference – President Dr. Eric Andrew Braun, Athletics Director Gerald Cadogan, Head Coach Mark Snyder. (2028)

 

• Stillman College (Tuscaloosa, AL): NAIA, Conference TBD – President Dr. Yolanda Page, Athletics Director Terrance Whittle, Head Coach TBD.

 

• 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 121 junior college football programs, 15 collegiate sprint football teams and 303 institutions offering women's flag football, including four-year colleges and universities, junior colleges and community colleges.
 
Sprint football, a full-contact sport for players weighing 178 pounds or less and played under the same rules as traditional college football, has experienced significant growth in recent years. The sport dates to 1934, and Army West Point, Navy, Cornell and Pennsylvania evolved into what would be known as the Eastern 150-Pound Football League and then the Eastern Lightweight Football League.
 
The league eventually became the Collegiate Sprint Football League (CSFL) in 1998, and since 2008, the CSFL has added seven programs. The most recent additions include D'Youville University (NY), which began playing this fall, and New York Institute of Technology, which will begin play in 2027. The additions will bring the CSFL to 11 programs.
 
The Midwest Sprint Football League (MSFL), which launched in 2022, expanded the sport to the middle of the country. In the past few years, the MSFL has seen several of its members transition to traditional programs in the NAIA. It will field four teams this year, bringing the total of sprint football teams to 15 nationwide.
 
Collegiate women's flag football continues to expand rapidly. The NAIA became the first collegiate athletics association to recognize the sport on a national level, with official competition beginning in 2021 with 15 teams. A total of 60 NAIA institutions are expected to sponsor women's flag football during the 2026-27 academic year, when the sport will become the association's 30th championship sport.
 
The growth has quickly spread to the NCAA ranks. In spring 2025, the Atlantic East Conference, which competes in Division III, became the first NCAA conference at any level to conduct a full varsity women's flag football season. During the 2026-27 academic year, more than 100 NCAA schools across Divisions I, II and III are expected to compete, and the NCAA is now pursuing legislation that could lead to the first national collegiate women's flag football championship in spring 2028.
 
Flag football is also experiencing rapid growth at the youth and high school levels, and it will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Los Angeles Games. 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.
   

• Maine Maritime Academy* (Castine, ME): NCAA Division III, Commonwealth Coast Conference
• University of Rio Grande (Rio Grande, OH): NAIA, Appalachian Athletic Conference  
• Roanoke College (Salem, VA): NCAA Division III, Old Dominion Athletic Conference
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Rio Grande Valley, TX): NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, Southland Conference

   

• 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§ (Pace, FL):  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, relaunching as listed
† Transitioned from Junior College
‡ Transitioned from Sprint Football
§ School closed or program subsequently discontinued
 
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