BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Four National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) conferences are uniting this week to crown a champion and offer an automatic bid into the NAIA Flag Football Invitational.

Six institutions from the Appalachian Athletic Conference, Crossroads League, Mid-South Conference, and Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference are set to gather at the Circle K Fieldhouse at NexusPark in Columbus, Indiana, for the NAIA East Flag Football Championship.

Campbellsville University (Ky.), Cumberland University (Tenn.), and Lindsey Wilson University (Ky.) from the Mid-South, Milligan University (Tenn.) from the Appalachian, University of Saint Francis (Ind.) from the Crossroads League, and Siena Heights University (Mich.) from the WHAC will compete on Thursday and Friday, April 23-24, for a berth into the NAIA Flag Football Invitational in early May.

The six teams are scheduled to compete in pool play on Thursday and a single-elimination tournament on Friday. The NAIA Area Ranking Committee (ARC) rating on April 22 determined the pools. The No. 1, No. 4, and No. 5-rated teams are assigned to Pool A, while the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 6-rated teams are assigned to Pool B.

Following pool play, the teams compete in a single-elimination bracket. The two pool winners earn byes into the semifinals. The championship game is slated for 6:00 p.m. on Friday, April 24.

2026 NAIA EAST FLAG FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

• Thursday, April 23 - Pool Play A
  • 9:00 a.m. - #1 Milligan vs. #4 Campbellsville 
  • 1:00 p.m. - #1 Milligan vs. #5 Siena Heights 
  • 5:00 p.m. - #4 Campbellsville vs. #5 Siena Heights
• Thursday, April 23 - Pool Play B
  • 11:00 a.m. - #2 Saint Francis vs. #3 Lindsey Wilson 
  • 3:00 p.m. - #2 Saint Francis vs. #6 Cumberland
  • 7:00 p.m. - #3 Lindsey Wilson vs. #6 Cumberland
• Friday, April 24 
  • 9:00 a.m. - Quarterfinal
  • 11:00 a.m. - Quarterfinal 
  • 1:00 p.m. - Semifinal
  • 3:00 p.m. - Semifinal 
  • 6:00 p.m. - Finals

ADMISSION

• $10 per day for an all-day pass
• Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Mid-South Conference website at https://midsouthconference.ticketsauce.com/ or at the door.
• The championship is a cashless event
• Seating is limited, but spectators may bring their own chairs for sideline seating

The tournament champion advances to the eight-team NAIA National Invitational, May 6-9, at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs. The academic structure at Saint Francis offers seven pathways: Humanities, Faith and Liberal Arts; Allied Health; Business and Leadership: Creative Arts and Digital Media; Education, Human Services and Community Care; Nursing; and Sciences and Medical Studies. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis delivers workforce development healthcare programs in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Gas City, Indianapolis, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Five-Star Champion of Character institution, Saint Francis has 21 athletic programs boasting three individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.