North Park to Launch Women's Flag Football Team in Spring 2026

CHICAGO, April 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the growing national popularity of women's no-tackle football programs, North Park University will start its own 25-player team to begin competing next year.

North Park alumnus Ramon Palma BS '22 MBA '24, a former four-year football player at North Park, has been named the team's head coach. He has begun recruiting students with plans to hold practices in the fall 2025 semester before finalizing a schedule of games to be played in spring 2026.

"Flag football is an exciting opportunity for both me as a coach and for North Park," Palma said. "I'm extremely thankful for the belief that the leadership team here at North Park have put in my ability to recruit and develop athletes. Being inaugural head coach of this program is proving to be one of my most exciting endeavors at North Park."

Flag football will become North Park's 20th varsity sport, with the team expected to join 20 other NCAA institutions in competition. Play consists of seven players from each side vying to score a six-point touchdown, with the opportunity to add one or two extra points with set plays. The sport has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the number of participants at the high school level doubling to 42,955 students from 2023–24.

John Born, assistant vice president for athletics and sport management, said Palma was a natural choice to coach the team.

"Ramon brings a wealth of experience, an unmatched work ethic, and an entrepreneurial spirit. We could not have picked a better person for this position," Born said.

After Graduating in 2022, Palma began working at North Park in the admissions department, while continuing to be a part of NPU football as an assistant coach and the team's social media manager. He worked with both offensive and defensive lines as well as curated content in various formats across NPU football's ever-growing social media pages.

For more information about the women's flag football team, go to athletics.northpark.edu.

North Park University is city-centered, intercultural, and emerging as the model for Christian higher education in 21st century America.

SOURCE North Park University