Women’s flag football is expanding nationwide, and its presence is taking shape at University of Illinois Springfield.
The school introduced Elgin-native Colin Wood as its first women’s flag football coach at The Recreation and Athletic Center on Tuesday, Feb. 3.
The first season is anticipated to get underway in spring 2027, with home games expected to be played at the Scheels Sports Park.
UIS announced the program’s launch in December.
Who is Colin Wood?
Wood’s coaching resume extends back to NCAA Division III North Central College, where he graduated with a bachelor’s in physical education and secondary education in 2019 and a master’s in sports leadership in 2022.
He served as a student assistant coach with the Cardinals in 2019 en route to the team’s first ever national title. He was eventually elevated to special teams coordinator and cornerbacks coach — not to mention academic coordinator — before becoming an assistant special teams analyst at University of Florida over the 2025 season.
“I never thought I’d be a Division I football coach,” Wood said. “As life continues to change, you just go through your new journeys. It’s just a new chapter to my book, and I’m excited to continue to work with college athletes and just add to their passion for the sport.”
Longtime UIS faculty member Jim Klein, who previously played football at University of Illinois, will pitch in as the interim assistant flag football coach.
Where to recruit?
Recruiting in Illinois will be a top priority, according to Wood.
The Illinois High School Association launched its inaugural girls flag football season in fall 2024. It currently heralds over 200 teams, predominantly in the Chicago area. The Springfield area is yet to field a team.
Building a recruiting network will come with time, Wood said.
“I feel like as a recruiter for men’s football, it’s very streamlined,” Wood said. “There’s a certain way to do things. Here, it’s going to be new to experience it. I’m sure there’s plenty of athletes that don’t know the opportunities that they have to market themselves. So, I’m looking forward to building those.”
What is the landscape of women’s flag football?
Lewis University is the only other school in the Great Lakes Valley Conference to kickstart women’s flag football.
Elsewhere, NCAA Division III Illinois College will undertake its inaugural flag football season in March under head coach Mark Grounds, the longtime head football coach at Jacksonville High School.
Only this past January, the sport was included to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. It ultimately elevates women’s flag football closer to achieving NCAA championship status.
The NCAA anticipates as many as 60 teams to participate in spring 2026, with more to join the following season.
The 2028 Summer Olympics will additionally include flag football.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: What to know about the new UI Springfield women’s flag football team
Reporting by Bill Welt, Springfield State Journal-Register / State Journal-Register
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