Chestnut Hill College announced Thursday it will add women's flag football and women's golf to its athletic program, with both sports set to debut ahead of flag football's inclusion in the 2028 Olympics.

The Division II school will launch women's golf in fall 2025, followed by flag football's inaugural season in spring 2026. The additions will bring the college's total varsity sports offerings to 20.

Chestnut Hill will become one of roughly 20 Division II schools sponsoring women's golf in Pennsylvania and surrounding regions. The golf team will compete independently against a mix of Division II and III schools.

The flag football program will join the Atlantic East Conference, which recently became the first NCAA conference to sponsor collegiate women's flag football through partnerships with the NFL and RCX Sports.

"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," said Troy Vincent Sr., executive vice president of NFL Football Operations.

The expansion comes as women's participation in both sports continues to grow. According to the National Golf Foundation, 2023 saw the highest number of women golfers since 2006. Meanwhile, flag football received a boost in September when the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association officially sanctioned it as a high school sport, backed by both the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers.

"We are thrilled to introduce both women's golf and women's flag football to Chestnut Hill College's athletic offerings," said Jesse Balcer, athletic director. "The addition of these two sports aligns with our commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes."

Chestnut Hill will become the eighth member of the Atlantic East Conference's flag football league, joining Centenary University, Immaculata University, Marymount University, Neumann University, Eastern University, Holy Family University, and Marywood University.