Women’s golf will begin in Fall 2025 and women’s flag football will follow with their inaugural season in Spring 2026.
Chestnut Hill College is pleased to announce an expansion of its athletic programs in the coming years. The College will be adding women’s golf and women’s flag football to its roster, which already includes 18 sports, 17 of which are in the NCAA’s Division II.
“In addition to the expansion of our academic programs, Chestnut Hill College is excited to continue expanding with our athletic programs as we welcome two new teams to GriffinNation next Fall,” says Brian McCloskey, D.M., MBA, interim president of the College. “The recognition of women’s sports on the national stage is at an unprecedented level, with women’s flag football scheduled to debut in the 2028 Summer Olympics and women’s golf continuing to expand prize purses and grow the game. Continuing to support our student-athletes is a large part of the College’s culture, and expanding into more women’s programs is another way to share the College’s mission, and the mission of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. I can’t think of a better way to begin our second century, much like our first, by introducing new teams and new female athletes to our college. It’s a great time to be a Griffin!”
Women’s Golf Returns to CHC in Midst of Worldwide Golf Boom
The history of women’s golf at CHC dates back to the mid-1930s when student-athletes competed at the varsity level for a few years before the sport was disbanded. Golf wouldn’t be seen again at CHC until 2004 when a men’s golf team was added. Now 20 years later, the women will return to the links at a time when it is female golfers, who are driving the industry’s growth. According to publications such as the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and National Golf Foundation, women’s golf has grown immensely over the last two decades, especially post-pandemic. 2023 saw more women on the golf course than any year since 2006. While data is not yet available, it was anticipated that 2024’s numbers would be even higher, producing a record number of female golfers worldwide.
“Women’s golf holds a special place for me so I am thrilled to lead the initiative of the return of women’s golf to CHC,” notes Michael McCarraher, head golf coach. “Our recruitment efforts are already underway, and we are eager to welcome talented golfers who will represent our school with pride. We are committed to providing them with the resources, coaching, and support necessary to compete at the highest level, achieve excellence and foster success.”
As one of just over 20 DII schools sponsoring women’s golf in Pennsylvania and the surrounding regions, CHC’s team will compete independently, facing a mix of DII and DIII schools in its return to sport.
Women’s Flag Football’s Inaugural Season to Precede Sport’s Olympic Debut
Following the return of women’s golf, just a few short months later, CHC will kick off the inaugural season of women’s flag football, one of the fastest-growing sports in the country. As was announced on Thursday, the College will be joining the Atlantic East Conference, the first NCAA conference to sponsor collegiate women’s flag football nationwide.
“We are excited to have Chestnut Hill joining the Atlantic East as an associate member in women’s flag football,” says Rebecca Mullen, interim commissioner of the Atlantic East. “We take great pride in being the first NCAA conference to sponsor a championship in flag football and Chestnut Hill is a great fit to help us grow a competitive atmosphere for our student-athletes.”
It’s a sport that continues to grow at both the high school and collegiate level in advance of its Olympic debut in the Los Angeles’ Summer Games in 2028, and the National Federation of State High School Associations reports that approximately half a million girls aged 6-17 participated in flag football in 2023, an increase of more than 60 percent from 2019. Among high school-aged students, that number was more than 40,000, an increase of more than 105% from the previous year.
Locally, 16 high schools participated in the Philadelphia Eagles’ Girls Flag Football League in its inaugural season in 2022. In 2024, that number rose to just shy of 100 teams across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In addition, over 30 teams took part in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ league.
In March of that year, the Philadelphia Public League officially sanctioned women’s flag football. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), the governing body for all high school sports across the state, was soon to follow in September. Both efforts were supported by the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers, who have endeavored to encourage more female athletic participation in football.
“This is not just an important day for the Eagles and Steelers, but for the sport of football and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie told ESPN following the PIAA announcement. “When we launched our girls’ flag football league in 2022, we set an ambitious five-year goal to get the sport sanctioned in our state. Now, here we are three seasons later and two years ahead of schedule. The sport’s organic growth is a credit to the participants, administrators, coaches, officials, and parents who helped raise the profile of girls’ flag football.”
With additional support from the Eagles, the AEC partnered with the NFL and RCX Sports to create its flag football division and in 2024, played its inaugural season.
“The NFL, the Eagles, RCX Sports, and the Atlantic East Conference working together is an example of how flag football can be expanded at the collegiate level,” Troy Vincent Sr., executive vice president of NFL Football Operations, said in the league’s announcement. “The Atlantic East Conference is showing tremendous leadership as the first in the NCAA to elevate flag, which will provide access for female athletes to play at the next level and further pursue their dreams.”
Chestnut Hill College will be the eighth team in the AEC, joining Centenary University, Immaculata University, Marymount University, Neumann University, Eastern University, Holy Family University, and Marywood University. Women’s flag football will be the 20th varsity sport at CHC.
“We are thrilled to introduce both women’s golf and women’s flag football to Chestnut Hill College’s athletic offerings,” says Jesse Balcer, athletic director. “The addition of these two sports not only aligns with our commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes but also highlights the growing momentum of women’s flag football. We are really excited to watch our student-athletes thrive on these new stages, showcasing their talent, teamwork, and passion.”
– Marilee Gallagher ’14