OHSAA sanctions girls flag football state tournament

COLUMBUS — The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced Thursday that it will sanction a state championship event in girls flag football beginning in the spring of 2026. The announcement was made at a press conference in Canton alongside representatives from the National Football League, the Cleveland Browns, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the NFL Flag Championships. OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute and OHSAA staff have been meeting with Ohio flag football leaders for several years. The growth of girls flag football began in 2021 with the creation of the first Girls High School Flag Football division in Northeast Ohio, led by the Browns. Three years ago, there were 20 schools in Ohio that had a team. There are currently 80 high schools in Ohio that have a team and that number is expected to continue to grow. "We are pleased that the OHSAA Board of Directors has approved the sanctioning of girls flag football as an OHSAA sponsored championship event," said Ute. "Flag football is growing rapidly and we look forward to working closer with teams, coaches and schools to help that growth. The Browns, Bengals and NFL have already put in so much work to promote the game and bring us to this moment to welcome girls flag football to the OHSAA." Dates for competition and the 2026 state tournament will be determined in the near future. In 2024, the Browns held an initial conversation with the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association regarding adding a division for girls flag football. The coaches association then officially included the sport in the association by adding a new region, Region 18. The Browns are the only NFL club that sits on a board for a high school football coaches association. Flag football has been added by 100 college club and varsity programs and 17 high school state associations have sanctioned the sport with a state tournament. It will be included as a new sport in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Girls flag football will continue to be a spring sport. In May, the Browns and Bengals hosted the inaugural Girls High School Flag Football State Championship title at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium in Massillon, where the top four teams from both the Browns and Bengals divisions competed. Hamilton Badin High School won the inaugural girls flag football state tournament over Willoughby South. "Ohio becoming the latest state to sanction girls flag football is a testament to the strong growth and appeal of the sport," said Stephanie Kwok, NFL Vice President, Head of Flag Football. "This is an exciting time with 17 states having sanctioned girls flag football and we're thankful to the Browns, Bengals and OHSAA for their support in growing the sport." The Browns pledged to supply resources for participating schools. "The decision to officially sanction girls flag football in Ohio is an important moment not just for the Browns, but for the entire state of Ohio and the game we love," Cleveland Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said in a statement. "We have seen firsthand how powerful the game of football can be in shaping confidence, leadership, and community, and we are proud that more young women will have the chance to experience that same growth." ESPN, ABC, Disney and the NFL will provide coverage of this weekend's NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota, spanning 33 hours from Friday through Sunday. ESPN will showcase 15 games from the girls high school division, including the national championship game Sunday.