2 days ago
OHSAA officially adds girls flag football in Ohio
Girls flag football is now officially a sanctioned sport here in Ohio.
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The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OSHAA) announced that it will sanction girls' high school flag football in the spring of 2026, according to an OSHAA spokesperson.
This makes Ohio the 17th state to sanction girls flag football in the United States.
'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.'
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The Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns hosted the inaugural Girls High School Flag Football State Championship title in Massillon back in May.
Badin High School won the state tournament.
'We are pleased that the OHSAA Board of Directors has approved the sanctioning of girls flag football as an OHSAA-sponsored championship event,' said OHSAA Executive Director Doug 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.'
Three years ago, 20 schools in Ohio had a girls flag football team. That number has grown to 80 high schools, OHSAA said.
Girls flag football will be included as a new sport in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
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