By Alyssa Whitney

The NIRSA Championship Series is off like a shot with a couple of regional flag football tournaments already under our belt for October, and several that will be getting underway in November and December.

This year’s regional events take place at twelve sites and will culminate with the National Flag Football Championships at the University of West Florida from January 2–4.

Men’s, Women’s, and Co-Rec Champions will be crowned in Pensacola, Florida this January.

As always, regional hosts are excited to put on exceptional events, and the staff at the University of Southern Mississippi is no exception. Mike Valentine, the university’s Intramural and Club Sports Coordinator, says, “When the leaves start changing colors in Hattiesburg that only means one thing: it’s flag football time in Mississippi! Southern Miss is ramping up for another action-packed flag football tournament complete with food, fun and, of course, flag football!”

He goes on to say that, “The interest is escalating as teams are calling in not only to register but to get a scouting report on the competition. We’re expecting to surpass last year’s team numbers with the low registration fee of only $200! Flag football enthusiasts don’t want to miss out on this momentous occasion.”

There will be a new Open Division for non-collegiate teams at this year’s NIRSA National Flag Football Championships.

While the regional flag football tournaments are kicking off, preparations for the NIRSA National Flag Football Championships are moving into high gear. The staff at the University of West Florida, along with the Flag Football Work Team, is working hard to ensure this long-standing tournament goes off without a hitch.

In case you missed it, registration for the National Championships opened online on Monday, October 20, and all collegiate teams are invited to join us on a competitive quest for Men’s, Women’s, and Co-Rec National Champions!

This year’s National Flag Football Championships will also include an Open Division for non-collegiate teams. Registration for the Men’s, Women’s, and Co-Rec Divisions will close Tuesday, December 9 and Open Division registration is set to close on Sunday, December 28.

Make sure to follow all the action this fall at @NIRSAChamp on Twitter. Want to take part in the discussion? Teams, spectators, officials, and NIRSA professionals can use the hashtag #NIRSAFlag to share their experiences in real-time. Captured an Instagram video of an unbelievable touchdown? Create a Vine of the fans going wild after a huge flag pull? Tweet it at us and use the #NIRSAFlag hashtag so we can share with our followers!