By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on Thursday that it will introduce a girls flag football state championship event beginning in spring 2026.

The announcement comes after the OHSAA has spent several years meeting with Ohio flag football leaders to consider the potential opportunity to sanction a statewide event.

The growth of girls flag football began in 2021 with the creation of the first Girls High School Flag Football division in Northeast Ohio, which was supported by the Cleveland Browns.

At its inception, 20 schools in Ohio had a team. That number has grown to 80.

“We are pleased that the OHSAA Board of Directors has approved the sanctioning of girls flag football as an OHSAA sponsored championship event,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said. “Flag football is growing rapidly, and we look forward to working closer with teams, coaches and schools to help that growth. The Browns, (Cincinnati) 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.”

In 2024, the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association added a new region, Region 18, to support the girls flag football teams in Ohio, which becomes the 17th state to sanction the sport with a state tournament. And it will be included as a new sport at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Flag football in Ohio is slated to remain a spring sport for high 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,” said Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. “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. When we launched our Girls High School Flag Football League in 2021, the goal was to get to this day, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the continuous work of the athletes, coaches, administrators, and parents who all believed in the future of this sport. We want to thank OHSAA, the Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL for their partnership on bringing this to life as we continue to grow the game for girls across the state.”

The OHSAA said that it will announce additional information in the “near future,” including dates and locations for the state tournament.