AKRON, Ohio – Ahead of the Inaugural Ohio High School Athletic Association Girls Flag Football State Championship Tournament, the Cleveland Browns will host the top 16 girls high school flag football teams in the fifth annual Browns Championship, a single‑elimination tournament held on May 11 at the University of Akron's InfoCision Stadium for the first time. The University of Akron (UA) is the "Official University of the Cleveland Browns."
"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," said Haslam Sports Group Vice President of Community Relations, Jenner Tekancic. "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 exclusive strategic partnership between UA and the Browns organization brings together a university rich in history and one of the NFL's most storied franchises, strengthening a multitude of opportunities for regional growth. The joint efforts in hosting the Browns Championship reflects the shared commitment of the Browns and UA to making a meaningful impact across Northeast Ohio by expanding opportunities for student-athletes, fans and the broader community through sports.
"The University of Akron is thrilled to host the championship alongside our Cleveland Browns partners," said President R.J. Nemer. "UA is not only the intellectual center of our great community, but campus facilities are also a hub for culture and connection. We look forward to joining fans from Ohio's divisional champion teams to cheer on the flag football student-athletes."
The 11 division champions competing in the tournament are Willoughby South, Nordonia, West Branch, Fairbanks, Magnificat, Midview, Hathaway Brown, Berkshire, Canton McKinley, Cleveland John Hay and Westerville North. The five wild card advancements set to compete are North Royalton, Madison, St. Clairsville, Sandusky and Warren J. Harding.
The Browns Championship at the University of Akron's InfoCision Stadium is free for all fans to attend. Gates will open at 4 p.m., with games beginning at 5 p.m. and the championship game set for 9 p.m.
The champion and three runner‑up teams from the Browns Championship will earn automatic bids to the state championship tournament, where they will compete in a single‑elimination format against the top four teams from the Bengals division to crown Ohio's first sanctioned state champion on May 16.
In July 2025, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) officially approved girls high school flag football to be a State Championship Sport, making Ohio the 17th state to sanction girls flag football across the United States. The Browns began the implementation of girls flag football in 2021 alongside Northeast Ohio Flag Football, which led to the creation of the first Girls High School Flag Football league in Ohio. Over the last five years, the Browns have played a pivotal role in working towards the sanctioning of girls flag football as a varsity high school sport, growing the number of Northeast Ohio high schools with teams from six in 2021 to 120 in 2026 and over 61 new high schools competing in the Spring 2026 season.
The Cleveland Browns Girls High School Flag Football programming aims to provide access and opportunities for high school female student-athletes to compete in and experience the fastest growing sport, flag football. By providing resources and information to players, coaches and parents, the Browns are able to expand athletes' knowledge of the game and provide opportunities through the Cleveland Browns, USA Football, NFL FLAG and the NFL.
For more information about the 2026 Browns Championship and the full bracket, visit www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/browns-set-to-host-2026-northeast-ohio-girls-flag-football-championship-tournament.