On Their Own Turf

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The first game is still months away, but Eastern Connecticut State University’s women’s flag football program is already taking shape.

There is a coach. There is a roster of student-athletes. There is a field — among the first in the country dedicated to the rising NCAA sport.

Over the summer of 2026, Eastern added 79,550 square feet of synthetic playing surface to the Mansfield Athletic Outdoor Complex. Furnished with new bleachers and a scoreboard, the turf field runs 80 yards long and 40 yards wide. Eastern’s new athletics logos adorn the midfield and end zones, with their sleek design pointing toward a new era for the Warriors.

In spring 2027, the field will be home to Eastern’s first women’s flag football team and the University’s 21st varsity sport (12th for women), as well as the first in the Little East Conference.

A pivotal moment

The Warriors’ arrival comes at a pivotal moment for the sport. In January 2026, the NCAA added flag football to its Emerging Sports for Women program, creating a formal pathway toward a national championship status as early as 2028. Heading into the 2026-27 athletic year, nearly 100 colleges and universities across the country are now fielding varsity teams. The sport is even slated to make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.

For President Karim Ismaili, the new field and program are investments in both Eastern’s students and its future.

“Our student-athletes deserve the very best, and this field reflects Eastern’s commitment to giving them the opportunities and resources to thrive,” said President Karim Ismaili of Eastern’s investment in its newest athletics program. “I can’t wait to see what these remarkable, trailblazing women accomplish on the field, in the classroom, and throughout the Eastern community. They are building something here that future Warriors will be proud to follow.”

For some of the Warriors preparing for this first season, the opportunity represents something they have wanted for years.

Sophomore health sciences major Emelia Maria-Babcock grew up surrounded by football in her hometown of Everett, MA.

“I came from a football town. All my cousins played football,” she said. “I was always kind of jealous because I could never play, and now I’m really excited that I get the chance to.”

Others found their way to flag football after first playing the tackle version of the game.

Savannah Wright, a first-year health sciences major from Coventry, played tackle football for six years, including four at the high school level. “I’m excited for the opportunity to continue playing football at the college level,” she said.

Lauren Ledger, a first-year health sciences major from South Windsor, played tailback and outside linebacker on her high school’s boys’ team. “It’s my favorite thing in the world. … I’m really excited about the season and meeting new people.”

The new team is led by Head Coach Andy Crane, whose dynamic career spans two decades coaching collegiate golf, basketball, and baseball. A lifelong football fan, Crane played professional arena football and spent time on the field and in the front office with the NFL’s New York Jets. “I love the game of football,” he said. “I’ve played it since I was eight years old.”

After his own playing career ended, Crane thought his days in football might be behind him.

“Flag football lit that spark and fire again for me,” he said. “I’m lucky that I get to get up every morning and all I get to do is football.”

Now his task is to build a program from the ground up.

“We have been working really hard,” said Crane of the recruitment efforts. “We have some very talented football players that are looking to buy into what we are building here at Eastern, and that’s exciting.”

Over the past year, Crane has attended flag football showcases and events hosted by NFL organizations that are helping to develop women’s flag football, including the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Crane has witnessed the sport’s explosive growth firsthand. At the 2026 Youth Flag Football World Championships in Orlando, FL, more than 6,000 players competed over the course of a single week — and some of them are now part of Eastern’s newest team.

“Women’s flag football is becoming a world event and a world game,” said Crane of his aspirations to recruit far and wide.

That reach is already apparent on Eastern’s roster.

Building a roster

The Warriors have recruited players from Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, and welcomed transfers from as far away as South Carolina and the Midwest. The majority of the inaugural roster is comprised of first-year students, but many of the athletes bring years of high school and travel flag football experience with them. Some arrive at Eastern as state champions or recipients of player-of-the-year honors.

“Even though we’re a very young team, we’ll be a very dangerous team in year one,” said Crane.

The roster also reflects just how many different ways young women are discovering the sport.

First-year nursing major Jacalyn Zampieron from Ronkonkoma, NY, never planned to become a football player. She was training for volleyball at her high school when a football coach encouraged her to try flag football. Four years later, she is preparing to play at Eastern.

“It was the best decision I ever made,” Zampieron said. “I’m super excited to be here, meet these girls, and win.”

Chanel Grant, a first-year social work major from Springfield, MA, tried flag football out of curiosity. “The sport taught me a lot about myself, kept me in shape, and helped my mental health,” she said. “It’s a great opportunity to be one of the first sanctioned teams, and it’s the start of a new journey.”

Even though we're a very young team, we'll be a very dangerous team in year one.

Coach Crane

Nalina Charles, a first-year secondary education major from Albany, NY, has played flag football since her sophomore year of high school. For her, one of the sport’s biggest attractions is the way individual personalities come together around a shared goal.

“I love being able to work with a team, with new people, with different people, and bring all our personalities together to become one big family,” Charles said.

For Eastern, the launch comes at a moment when opportunities for women to play football are expanding dramatically. What for decades was often limited to recreational games, club teams, or isolated high school programs is developing into a true collegiate pathway — one Eastern intends to help lead.

Coach Crane sees the University’s investment in the team’s new turf field as evidence of its commitment to women’s flag football. “Recruits who come to play here know we are all in, 100 percent.”

For the inaugural Warriors, however, the field represents more than new turf and fresh lines.

They are the first

They will play the first game, score the first touchdown, and earn the first victory. They will establish traditions future teams inherit. Years from now, every player who joins Eastern women’s flag football will be joining something this group helped create.

Crane understands the significance of that opportunity. His message to his players is simple: “One team, one goal. Play for the person next to you.”

And when it comes to building a program from nothing, he knows there are no do-overs. “You’ve only got one shot at starting it for the first time,” Crane said. For Eastern’s newest Warriors, their field is ready. Soon, it will be their time to take it.

Continue Reading Issue 43