Girls Flag Football Becomes 29th Recognized OHSAA Sport
COLUMBUS, OH – On Wednesday afternoon, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced that girls flag football will be the state’s 29th fully recognized sport.
The Board of Directors voted unanimously in favor at its annual meeting, making the sport the 15th sport for high school girls, compared to 14 for the boys.
OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute says is proud to make Ohio the 23rd state association to approve the sport. “Flag football has grown so rapidly and will continue to do so” says Ute, who also praises local National Football League teams in this ground breaking announcement. “The Browns, Bengals, and NFL put in so much work to promote the game and bring us to this moment to welcome girls flag football to the OHSAA”.
This announcement comes after a wildly successful state tournament in May, partnering with both Ohio-based NFL teams as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.
“The Bengals are proud to support girls flag football and celebrate this historic milestone, which will help pave the way for the sport’s continued growth and success” says Bengals Vice President Elizabeth Blackburn. Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam say “the recognition of girls flag football as an official varsity sport in Ohio is a tremendous milestone for student-athletes across the state.”
A rapidly growing sport in the state of Ohio since 2021 sees will see 162 varsity teams from across the state compete during the inaugural season beginning in 2027, which will be a landmark campaign for OHSAA.
