CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Ohio High School Association plans to have a presence later this week during the NFL Flag Championships at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
The state’s governing body for high school sports announced late Monday morning that it will participate in a press conference Thursday afternoon with representatives from the NFL, Browns, Bengals and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Could girls flag football finally become a state-sanctioned event? Signs are pointing in that direction, as it has grown the last four years with annual high school championships. Willoughby South
won this year’s regional championship
, hosted by the Browns at Huntington Bank Field, and advanced to the state championship at Massillon’s Paul Brown Tiger Stadium. Hamilton Badin took the state crown, beating South in the finals.
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Northeast Ohio had 60 participating high schools this year for flag football, while Southwest Ohio had at least 20, up from six schools in 2024,
according to the Bengals
. The Ohio High School Football Coaches Association added girls flag football to its membership, too.
“We have seen the growth of girls flag football in Ohio and across the country over the last several years and are excited that so many young ladies have taken up this sport,” OHSAA executive director Doug Ute said Monday in a press release. “Our staff has been involved in many conversations about flag football and we look forward to being there this weekend in Canton. The Pro Football Hall of Fame does a great job hosting our football state championships in December and there’s no doubt they will do the same for this event.”
Nearly a dozen states sanctioned girls flag football as a varsity sport,
as of 2024
. It will also be a new sport for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
This weekend’s NFL Flag Championships will take place Friday through Sunday with coverage on ABC, ESPN and additional partnering networks. There also will be a
Build the Bridge girls flag football showcase
at noon Saturday in Mentor.
