FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Website: www.mpssaa.org
MPSSAA Sanctions Girls’ Flag Football as Maryland’s 26th Championship Sport
Historic Board of Control Vote Transitions Sport from Emerging Status to Official Varsity Championship for 2026-2027 School Year
Baltimore — Friday, April 24, 2026 — The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) officially sanctioned girls’ flag football as its 26th state championship sport today. Following a landmark unanimous vote by the MPSSAA Board of Control and approval of Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey Wright, the sport will transition from “emerging” status to a fully-recognized varsity state championship effective for the 2026-2027 academic year.
The MPSSAA inaugural season will operate three separate state championship classification tournaments based on each school’s enrollment. The season will begin on the first official fall sport practice date of Wednesday, August 12 and culminate with the state championship games at M&T Bank Stadium 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 percent of MPSSAA-member schools participating by 2026 (132 schools). The MPSSAA Board of Control criteria requires at least 40 percent of the membership for state championship consideration, surpassing the regulatory threshold for consideration.
The growth of girls’ flag football has been meteoric:
- 2023-24: 10 participating schools
- 2024-25: 53 participating schools
- 2025-26: 91 participating schools
- 2026-2027 (Projected): 132 participating schools statewide
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 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association 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.”
Tonight, at the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pa., the Ravens are welcoming 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 be in attendance and continue the celebration of Maryland’s sanctioning of the sport.
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, furthering the initiative to today’s historic announcement.
Further information will be released in the coming weeks related to Girls’ Flag Football and its inaugural championship season on www.mpssaa.org.
ABOUT THE MPSSAA
The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) was formed in 1946 to administer interscholastic athletics on behalf of Maryland’s 24 local educational agencies and the Maryland State Department of Education. In its 80th year, the MPSSAA supports 200-member high schools, conducts 88 state championship tournaments in 26 sport offerings, and has over 120,000 annual participants in interscholastic athletic programs.
The purpose of the MPSSAA is to promote, direct, and control all interscholastic activities of high school students, including recommending the develop of new and innovative programs; to establish, maintain, and enforce regulations as may be necessary to assure that all such activities shall be part of and contribute toward the entire educational program of the state of Maryland; and, to cooperate closely with the state department of education in the development of that program to safeguard the physical, mental, and moral welfare of high school students and protect them from exploitation.