The state of Ohio has taken an important step in recognizing high school athletes who play girls flag football.
On Thursday, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) announced they have sanctioned girls high school flag football in the state of Ohio, making Ohio the 17th state to sanction the sport across the United States. Over the last five years, the Browns have played a pivotal role in working towards the sanctioning of girls flag football in Ohio.
"The decision to officially sanction girls flag football in Ohio is an important moment not just for the Browns, but for the entire state of Ohio and the game we love," Cleveland Browns Managing and Principal Partners Dee and Jimmy Haslam said. "We have seen firsthand how powerful the game of football can be in shaping confidence, leadership, and community, and we are proud that more young women will have the chance to experience that same growth. When we launched our Girls High School Flag Football League in 2021, the goal was to get to this day, but it wouldn't have been possible without the continuous work of the athletes, coaches, administrators and parents who all believed in the future of this sport. We want to thank the OHSAA, the Cincinnati Bengals and the NFL for their partnership on bringing this to life as we continue to grow the game for girls across the state."
When the Browns first began their efforts to gauge interest in girls flag football in 2021, the conversations began with the Northeast Ohio Flag Football based in Lake County to talk with high school coaches about their interest in the sport and the program. The grassroots efforts of building awareness and contacting schools, as well as holding an exhibition game, followed by Jamboree later that year at Mentor High School, allowed the Browns to find their footing and create a foundation.
They implemented a pilot girls high school flag football league in the spring of 2022 alongside Northeast Ohio Flag Football, beginning with nine teams, as well as created the first high school girls flag football division in Ohio in 2022. Their success in the pilot season sparked schools to reach out to the Browns about their inclusion in the program.
The program continued to grow, with 30 teams in 2023, 51 teams in 2024 and 88 teams in 2025 across Northeast Ohio. As the division grew, Browns youth football manager Hannah Lee continued to reach out to schools to garner interest, as well as onboard teams into the program.
The girls flag football program has had the support of two partners in Gatorade and Bridgestone. Gatorade became the presenting partner of girls flag in 2021, and over the years, has provided tools to fuel athletes including product, coolers, bottles and more.
Bridgestone began providing support for girls flag through their partnership with the Browns in 2023 to help accelerate its pathway to become sanctioned in Ohio. Bridgestone has helped host experiential clinics to increase access to the sport and also provided direct donations that expanded local programming to reach more than 50 schools. In 2025, Bridgestone donated over $40,000 to the girls high school flag football program to help with referee costs. Bridgestone's contributions to girls flag further extend across the league through additional monetary donations to programs through the Cowboys, Rams, Patriots and Titans.
"The announcement today is a testament to teamwork and the strength of advocacy," Cleveland Browns Vice President of Community Relations Jenner Tekancic said. "There are countless individuals who made history with us today, and we are grateful for the officials, volunteer coaches and so many people behind the scenes who have been integral to get Ohio to this point. We look forward to the continued collaboration with the coaches association, our partners and those who are as passionate as we are to advance the game."