After the success of the inaugural Ohio High School Athletic Association flag football state championship, more changes could be coming for the nascent sport.
OHSAA communications director Tim Stried confirmed that the board of directors would be voting on fully sanctioning girls flag football competition for the 2026-2027 school year at their upcoming meeting June 12.
“We were very happy with the state tournament in May,” Stried said. “Full sanctioning for flag football will be on the table at the board’s upcoming meeting.”
Flag football has been rapidly growing in Ohio. First started in 2021 by the Cleveland Browns, with the Cincinnati Bengals following suit in 2024, over 160 schools across the state fielded a flag football team in 2026. Last season, Hamilton’s Badin Rams won the state championship tournament that the Browns and Bengals sponsored.
Based on the rapid take-up of the sport, the OHSAA stepped in to officially sanction its own state tournament in 2026 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, the same site used for the boys football championships each fall. The four semifinalists from both the Cincinnati and Cleveland regional clashed, with Macedonia Nordonia claiming the title in a thrilling final game against Mount Notre Dame. Fan attendance and energy were high, despite a short weather delay.
Previously, regular-season competition was unsanctioned and organized primarily by the Bengals and Browns in coordination with local schools. Full sanctioning would introduce more consistency across regions and streamline postseason seeding.
Another possibility with OHSAA management is a revamp of the regional playoff structure. After having just two regional tournaments last season at Cincinnati’s Paycor Stadium and the University of Akron’s InfoCision Stadium, there is some momentum behind a new four-region proposal.
That proposal would see Southwest Ohio’s regional preserved as-is, while adding a Central Ohio regional in Columbus and an additional Northeast Ohio regional in Cleveland to account for the Northeast’s surplus in participating schools.
Even with OHSAA sanctioning, both the Bengals and Browns would continue to assist with equipment, training, and organization. The Bengals, with partnerships through USA Football and NIKE, currently provide equipment and uniforms to participating Cincinnati-area schools.
They also host several preseason events for local athletes, including their Girls Flag Football Jamboree.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OHSAA to consider fully sanctioning flag football later this month
Reporting by Chase Souder, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
