Willoughby South among teams competing; OHSAA press conference scheduled for Thursday at 3:15 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (7-14-25) – Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton and the surrounding Hall of Fame Village complex will host the second annual NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota this weekend. The Ohio High School Athletic Association will have staff in attendance and will participate in a press conference on Thursday at 3:15 p.m. with representatives from the NFL, Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The press conference on Thursday will follow the girls flag football skills showcase, which begins at 1 p.m. and will feature a number of Ohio student-athletes. Willoughby South High School, which was the state runner-up to Hamilton Badin at the inaugural girls flag football state tournament in May, will participate in the girls high school team division.

Girls flag football is not currently one of the OHSAA’s 28 sanctioned sports. 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. In 2024, the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association added girls flag football to its membership and representation.

Flag football will be included as a new sport in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

Doug Ute, OHSAA Executive Director

“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. 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.”

ESPN, ABC, Disney and the NFL will provide coverage, spanning 33 hours from Friday through Sunday. ESPN will showcase 15 games from the girls high school division, including the national championship game on Sunday.

The NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota is the world’s premiere youth flag football tournament, held at ForeverLawn Park by Unrivaled Sports at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton. The Championships, operated by RCX Sports, will feature approximately 300 NFL FLAG regional winning teams of girls and boys participating across 12 divisions, including eight international teams.

Stephanie Kwok, NFL vice president, head of Flag Football

“We are thrilled to bring the NFL Flag Championships presented by Toyota back to Canton for the second consecutive year. The Championships are a strong showcase for the growth of flag football at the grassroots level across the country and around the world. Flag is inclusive and accessible for all, and we are excited to see the competition across all age groups at the 2025 NFL Flag Championships.”

For more information on the Cleveland Brownswork in the Girls High School Flag Football space including  information on the New Era Summit and hosting the Girls High School Flag Football Championships visit: https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/community/youth-football/girls-high-school-flag-football

For more information on the Cincinnati Bengalswork in the Girls High School Flag Football space visit: https://www.bengals.com/community/girls-flag-football

OHSAA Sanctioning in the future????

While numerous state associations have sanctioned Girls Flag Football the Ohio High School Athletic Association seems to be dragging their feet. With the support of two NFL franchises, Cincinnati and Cleveland, why the delay. 

Ohio – Badin Picks Up 2025 Ohio High School Inaugural Girls Flag Football Title

INDIANA – Girls Flag Football Approved As An EmergingSport

ILLINOIS – Girls Flag Football To Debut As IHSA Sport In Fall Of 2024

Then again maybe not having the OHSAA involved could be a good thing for the sport.

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