McKinley, Nordonia and West Branch will compete in the fifth annual Browns Girls High School Flag Football Championship Tournament at the University of Akron on Monday, May 11.
The tournament features 16 of the top girls high school flag football teams in Ohio competing in a single-elimination tournament. The event is free for fans to attend. Gates will open at 4 p.m., play begins at 5 and the championship game is at 9.
“We’re excited to join our partners at the University of Akron and showcase the continued growth of girls high school flag football across Ohio and name a new Browns Champion,” wrote Haslam Sports Group Vice President of Community Relations, Jenner Tekancic in a press release. “This season has marked a remarkable new chapter for the sport, and we look forward to expanding opportunities for young athletes across the state.”
The tournament champion and three runner-up teams will receive automatic bids to the OHSAA State Championship Tournament. The four teams will compete against the top four teams from the Bengals Division to crown the first sanctioned state champion on Saturday, May 16.
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Browns Girls High School Flag Football Championship Tournament qualifiers
The Browns tournament will feature 11 division champions and five-wild card teams.
McKinley, Nordonia and West Branch each won division championships. The other eight division winners are Willoughby South, Fairbanks, Magnificat, Midview, Hathaway Brown, Berkshire, John Hay and Westerville North.
The five wild-card teams scheduled to compete are North Royalton, Madison, St. Clairsville, Sandusky and Warren Harding.
OHSAA Girls Flag Football State Championship set for May 16
The inaugural Ohio High School Athletic Association girls flag football state championship is at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton on Saturday, May 16. Eight schools will qualify to the one-day state tournament.
The quarterfinals will start at noon on four fields, followed by the semifinals and championship game.
“We are very excited for this state tournament and would like to thank the Pro Football Hall of Fame for hosting it inside Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said in a statement released by the organization. “This sport has grown so fast over the last few years and we are proud that the young ladies will compete for an OHSAA state championship inside the stadium. We look forward to being a part of a great day in Canton.”
How many Ohio high school girls flag football teams are there?
There are currently 162 high schools in Ohio that sponsor girls flag football for the 2026 season. The Browns, Bengals, Pro Football Hall of Fame and the OHSAA are collaborating to conduct the state tournament.
What’s the size of a girls flag football field?
Four playing fields, which are 25 yards wide by 70 yards long, will be set up inside the stadium for the state tournament in Canton.
Reach Cliff at cliff.hickman@cantonrep.com
On X: @chickmanREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Browns to host girls flag football tournament at University of Akron
Reporting by Cliff Hickman, Canton Repository / The Repository
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