1st Illinois Girls Flag Football State Championship Planned For Fall

LAKE FOREST, IL — State high school sports administrators joined with representatives of the Chicago Bears and Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday to announce the launch of a state championship series in a new sport.

Starting in fall 2024, the first Illinois state champion in girls flag football will be crowned, according to the Illinois High School Association, or IHSA, which approved the addition of the new sport at its board meeting earlier this month.

“It is important for the IHSA to continue to adapt to the interests of our students and schools,” said IHSA Board President Dan Tully, principal of Notre Dame College Prep.

“Girls Flag Football is somewhat unprecedented in terms of its growth and timeline for achieving an IHSA State Series," Tully said. "We are enthusiastic about how much has been accomplished in such a short amount of time, and expect that participation will continue to increase in the years ahead.”

More than 100 schools have committed to participate in the first year of the girls flag football state series, and nearly 40 others have said they expect to have a team ready by 2025, IHSA officials announced.

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The Chicago Public League first held a postseason tournament for student-athlete in Chicago Public Schools in 2021. Back of the Yards High School came out on top in the first year.

The league then partnered with the Chicago Bears to host state championship events at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. Willowbrook High School took the championship in 2022, while Lane Tech High School won in 2023.

IHSA Assistant Executive Director Tracie Henry, who will serve as the administrator for IHSA's girls flag football program, said there is a lot of work to be done before the first girls flag football state champions can be crowned.

“We have a group of people who are dedicated to seeing the sport flourish and putting on a first-class state tournament. One area where we know we will need help is with officiating," Henry said. "We hope we can recruit some new officials to the sport, while also having current IHSA officials in other sports, including 11-player and 8-player football, add licenses to referee girls flag football as well.”

Anyone interested in refereeing IHSA girls flag football games can begin the licensing process in May, according to IHSA.

According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, of NFHS, girls flag football is one of the fastest growing high school sports.

In 2022-23, NFHS reported the number of girls who participated in flag football increased by 32 percent, rising to nearly 21,000, with more than 900 schools fielding teams. There are at least eight states already sponsoring state championships in the sport, with nearly two dozen more in the planning stages or running pilot programs.

The IHSA is the not-for-profit organization that supervises high school sports. Though its board is made up of school officials, it is legally considered a private and independent organization.

For the 2024-25 school year, IHSA will offer a state championship in 40 sports and activities, in addition to its Wheelchair Basketball tournament and Unified Basketball games through its partnership with Special Olympics and divisions for athletes with disabilities across multiple sports.

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Chicago Bears President and CEO Kevin Warren said the official inclusion of girls flag football among high school sports in Illinois is exciting.

"Next year, we will witness a state championship in the sport. By providing opportunities for talented girls and women, we will be able to follow some of the world’s best athletes competing on local, national and international platforms, leading to the 2028 Summer Olympics,” Warren said.

“The Chicago Bears remain committed to aggressively championing the growth of girls’ flag football," he added. "This is the beginning, but access and equity begin with these historical first moments that make the Chicago Bears, and me personally, inspired for the future of girls’ flag football for generations to come."