BALTIMORE — Girls flag football will become Maryland’s 26th sanctioned state championship sport, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) announced Friday.
The announcement followed a unanimous vote by the MPSSAA Board of Control and approval of Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, Carey Wright.
The sport will transition from “emerging” status to a fully recognized varsity state championship effective for the 2026-27 academic year.
The inaugural season will operate with three classification tournaments based on enrollment.
The season will begin on the first fall practice date of Wednesday, August 12, and culminate with the state championship games at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore by mid-November.
“This is a historic day for our student-athletes and the sport of girls flag football,” said Andy Warner, MPSSAA executive director. “The growth of girls flag football demonstrates its inclusive reach to our female student-athletes, providing opportunities for teamwork and leadership in an equitable sporting environment.
“We are thrilled to see these young women compete for state titles and showcase their talents under the lights of our high school stadiums.”
This decision marks the culmination of a multi-year initiative in partnership with the Baltimore Ravens.
The journey began in January 2021 when the MPSSAA initiated discussion with the Ravens and collaboratively built a shared vision for a sustainable competitive framework.
The Ravens and Frederick County Public Schools combined to make the vision a reality with the pilot season in 2023 with 10 teams.
In four years, participation has grown to 66% of MPSSAA-member schools participating (132 schools).
The MPSSAA Board of Control criteria requires at least 40% of the membership for state championship consideration, surpassing the regulatory threshold for consideration.
The rapid growth of girls’ flag football can be attributed to the partnerships developed by the Ravens and local school systems, with the Ravens to date having provided over $1 million in total funding support to participating school systems.
In conjunction with Under Armour, the Ravens have also provided uniforms to each participating county since launching the initiative.
“This is a significant day for both the Baltimore Ravens and the entire state of Maryland,” Ravens President Sashi Brown stated. “The momentum generated since the launch of our girls flag football pilot program in 2023 has led to this landmark sanctioning announcement.
“I want to acknowledge our partners at the (MPSSAA) and Under Armour for their continued commitment to this shared vision. We set out to create meaningful and equitable opportunities for girls to participate in football across the state, and now, we are seeing that vision realized. We know that today’s young female athletes will be prepared to become tomorrow’s leaders.”
On Friday at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, the Ravens welcomed girls flag football student-athletes from school systems that participated in the first two years of this initiative (Frederick, Montgomery, Washington and Baltimore City) to attend and continue the celebration of Maryland’s sanctioning of the sport.
“Under Armour is proud of its work with the Baltimore Ravens to help expand access to girls flag football across Maryland,” Flynn Burch, Under Armour director of global impact stated. “Sanctioning girls high school flag football isn’t just about adding another sport, it’s about opening doors.
“It gives young women the chance to compete, to lead, and to grow into confident, disciplined individuals who succeed both on the field and in every part of their lives.”
The Washington Commanders joined in fiscal and administrative support of Montgomery and Prince George’s county public school systems during the 2025-26 academic year.
Maryland becomes the 19th state to formally recognize girls flag football at the high school level. The sport continues to gain momentum across the country, with more than 100 collegiate programs offering opportunities and flag football set to debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Further information will be released in the coming weeks related to girls flag football and its inaugural championship season on www.mpssaa.org.