CHICAGO – The Saint Xavier University athletic department is excited to announce Wade Bittner as the inaugural head coach for the women's flag football team. Bittner is also the flag football coach at St. Laurence High School in Burbank, Ill. where he teaches psychology. The women's flag football will be the 21^st varsity sport for the SXU athletics department when they begin competition in the Spring of 2027.

There are currently 35 NAIA schools with women's flag football teams in 2025-26. This past summer, the NAIA's National Administrative Council (NAC) Executive Committee approved women's flag football as an invitational sport for this academic year. Women's flag football was started in the NAIA as an emerging sport in 2021.

Bittner has been coaching flag football at the high school level, for over four seasons. He has also volunteered at various flag football clinics, skills camps and outreach reach programs across the Chicagoland area. In his time coaching, Bittner has won a pair of regional championships.

"We are excited for the challenge and opportunity that leading a first-year program will bring," Bittner said. "The goal is to grow this program over time into a competitive team with a foundation based on creating culture and gaining respect as a program. We are laying the groundwork for a new program that will grow, compete, and represent SXU with pride!"

Athletic Director Ken Alston had this to say, "We landed on a phenomenal candidate to lead our program, someone who has successfully completed three seasons and achieved two regional championships. We are confident he will bring that same energy and expertise to Saint Xavier"

"As SXU seeks to continually innovate, the sport, which is rapidly growing in Illinois, is an ideal addition to our list of varsity teams. I am always looking for new ways to grow the Athletics program and enhance the student-athlete experience," added Alston.

The Cougars have yet to announce whether they will join a conference or play as an independent for the 2027 campaign. In addition to the current programs, other area schools, including Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) and Olivet Nazarene University (Ill.) are also fielding teams in 2027, along with nearly 20 other colleges and universities, putting the total number of NAIA teams over 50 for next season.

The first-ever NAIA women's flag football invitational championship starts later this week on Thursday, May 7 in Bradenton, Fla. at the IMG Academy with the championship game on May 9. The eight-team tournament has a double-elimination format. The teams ranked No. 1 through No. 8 include: Warner University (Fla.), Ottawa University (Kan.), Keiser University (Fla.), Hope International University (Calif.), Baker University (Kan.), Kansas Wesleyan University, St. Thomas University (Fla.) and University of Saint Francis (Ind.).