A Milestone for OLLU Athletics
Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) in San Antonio will field the city’s first women’s flag football team in the spring of 2026, marking a historic expansion of the school’s athletic portfolio. The initiative, championed by President Abel Chavez, is designed to boost enrollment and showcase innovative pathways for student‑athletes.
Head coach Chris Seay, who previously led the program’s development under the Texas Fury banner, will guide a roster of 25 to 30 athletes drawn from Florida, California, Nevada, Louisiana, New York and Texas. Among the recruits is incoming freshman Christina Rodriguez, who switched from track to flag football in April 2026, and Anara Peterson, a five‑year veteran of the sport who plans to continue her pre‑dental studies at OLLU.
National Context and Olympic Ambitions
The move places OLLU as the second NAIA institution in Texas to sponsor women’s flag football and the first in San Antonio to do so. The sport’s rapid growth is reflected in participation numbers that climbed from 21,000 high school girls in 2022‑23 to nearly 69,000 in 2024‑25. Flag football is slated to become a championship sport in NCAA Division I by spring 2028 and will make its Olympic debut at the 2028 Games, a timeline that aligns with OLLU’s long‑term vision.
The program’s low entry cost and the use of the university’s existing soccer field made flag football a practical choice. Assistant coach Elda Ruiz‑Graham, who founded the San Antonio Texas Fury team in 2017, hopes the new squad will highlight expanding opportunities for girls in athletics. OLLU President Abel Chavez emphasized that the initiative supports the university’s enrollment goal of 1,800 students, noting that participants in OLLU’s athletic programs consistently achieve higher GPAs, retention rates and graduation rates than the broader student body.
Future Horizons
Beyond flag football, OLLU’s “Lake Express” pathway enables students to earn a bachelor’s degree in three years, a model that President Chavez says will attract high‑achieving recruits. He hinted at additional sports additions on the horizon, describing them as “some very exciting things cooking.” The university’s partnership with the NFL Houston Texans, whose official site is houstontexans.com, further underscores the growing intersection of collegiate athletics and professional sport.