In the first homecoming football game ever held at Neumann University, the Knights’ flag football squad lost to the College of Staten Island, 42-0, on Saturday, September 28.
Founded 59 years ago, Neumann has never had a men’s football team, but the university has embraced flag football, a sport growing in popularity. The PIAA approved high school flag football in the state last week, and the sport will make its Olympic debut in 2028.
With support from the Philadelphia Eagles, Neumann’s collegiate athletic conference is already on board with the sport. The Atlantic East held its first flag football tournament on April 13 and has scheduled a full slate of games for six teams in the spring of 2025.
In the homecoming match, the College of Staten Island dominated the first half, scoring on four straight offensive possessions. The Dolphins added an early defensive score on an interception and jumped to a commanding 33-0 halftime lead.
In a second half that saw more balanced play, Staten Island added one touchdown and a safety.
Despite the sting of defeat, coach Nellie Mixon vowed to use the loss as a learning experience for her squad. A 2006 Neumann graduate, Mixon was a star basketball player for the Knights and played several years of football with the Philadelphia Phantomz.
Her team includes 18 young women who wore the Neumann jersey in the homecoming match, some from distant hometowns in Alaska and Sierra Leone.
Atlantic East members and associate members set to compete in the spring include Centenary University, Eastern University, Holy Family University, Immaculata University, Marymount University, and Neumann. Chestnut Hill College will join the competition in 2026.
Flag football is similar to the NFL game with some key differences: a shorter field, seven-on-seven play, and no offensive or defensive line players. Instead of tackling, players in possession of the ball are downed when an opponent removes a breakaway flag from their waist belts.