Ohio emerges as hotspot for girls' flag football boom
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The 2024 NFL Flag Football Championships at Hall of Fame Village in Canton. Photo Erick W. Rasco/Getty Images
More women than ever are playing flag football, and Ohio may be the epicenter of it all.
Why it matters: The NFL is investing in women's flag football, and the Olympics is planning the sport's debut in 2028.
Zoom in: The Browns have led the way locally, joining forces with Northeast Ohio Flag Football to create the first Girls High School Flag Football division in the state.
- The number of teams in the state has gone from six schools in 2021 to more than 120 in 2026.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association now sanctions a state tournament for girls' flag football.
- This year's event takes place at Canton's Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in May.
Between the lines: The 2025 NFL Flag Championships, showcasing girls' flag football players from across the country, took place at Canton's Hall of Fame Village.
- This year's event from July 23-26 moves to Westfield, Indiana.
The big picture: Ohio is one of 17 states in which high school athletic associations have sanctioned girls' varsity flag championships, and 22 states have pilot programs in play.
- Independent collegiate leagues, including the NAIA and NJCAA, already have flag football.
- In February, an NCAA committee recommended that Divisions I, II and III add flag football as an emerging women's sport.