The Winston-Salem State University women’s flag football team secured the first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) championship title on Saturday.
HBCU Gameday reported the Rams defeated the Bowie State University Bulldogs 24-0 in the quarterfinals, where they overtook the Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls 14-7 in the semifinals. In the finals, the team defeated fellow North Carolina HBCU Fayetteville State University 9-6 for the title. According to the outlet, the first half was scoreless until “the Rams took the lead with a safety, followed by an interception that set up a touchdown and successful extra point, bringing the score to 9-0.”
WFMY reported that the Broncos scored with less than a minute remaining, but the Rams denied their three-point conversion attempt, securing their victory.
Eight teams competed in the inaugural CIAA flag football championship, one of the first NCAA Division II conferences to host a women’s flag football tournament.
Women’s flag football has expanded across the country, with the CIAA announcing the sport’s introduction at seven HBCUs last year to begin this spring. Alabama State University, the first women’s football program at a Division I HBCU, kicked off its season in February by defeating Huntingdon College 42-0.
During the offseason, Alabama State became the first D1 school to award a scholarship in the sport, The Athletic reported, with 17-year-old Ki’Lolo Westerlund receiving it.
