Photos courtesy of Jon Pearson/Chicago Bears and CPL Athletics
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is proud to announce that Girls Flag Football will become the latest sport to make its debut in an IHSA State Series as the IHSA will conduct its first postseason, culminating in the culmination of a… IHSA Girls Flag Football State Champion is Fall 2024.
“The addition of Girls Flag Football supports the IHSA mission of creating participation opportunities for high school students in Illinois,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The sport has experienced significant growth in a short period of time and our member schools are excited to see it become an IHSA sport. The Chicago Public Schools Athletic Administration and the Chicago Bears deserve great praise for their grassroots efforts in promoting and supporting the growth of girls flag football in Illinois.”
The IHSA Board of Directors approved the Girls Flag Football State Series during its regular meeting on February 4, 2024. The IHSA will offer a State Series in a total of 40 sports and activities in 2024–25, in addition to its Unified Wheelchair Basketball Tournament, through its partnership with Special Games Olympics and the divisions for athletes with disabilities in several sports.
“It is important for the IHSA to continue to adapt to the interests of our students and schools,” said Dan Tully, principal at Notre Dame College Prep in Niles and president of the IHSA board. “Girls Flag Football is somewhat unprecedented in terms of its growth and timeline for reaching an IHSA State Series. We are thrilled with how much has been achieved in such a short space of time and expect participation to continue to grow in the coming years.”
Girls Flag Football joins a growing list of sports and activities that recently held their first IHSA State Series, including Girls Wrestling (2022), Esports (2022), Boys and Girls Lacrosse (2018), and Competitive Dance (2013) .
The IHSA has commitments from over 100 schools to participate in the inaugural State Series in 2024, while nearly 40 additional schools have said they expect to field a team in 2025.
“The Chicago Public League (CPL) is thrilled that high school girls flag football is now an IHSA sanctioned sport,” said David Rosengard, executive director of sports administration for the Chicago Public Schools. “It is amazing to see the rapid growth of the sport across the state, as what began as the first league in partnership with Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Bears has now expanded to over 100 participating teams and IHSA sanctions. We cannot thank the Bears, the IHSA and our CPL leagues enough for what they have done to grow this sport in the city and state.”
The CPL held a postseason tournament in 2021, which was won by Back of the Yards High School. The CPL and Chicago Bears then joined forces to host a state championship event at Halas Hall in 2022 and 2023, with Willowbrook High School and Lane Tech High School each winning state championships.
“The official sanctioning of girls flag football in the state of Illinois is exciting news. Next year we will witness a state championship in this sport. By providing opportunities for talented girls and women, we will be able to follow some of the world’s best athletes compete on local, national and international platforms leading to the 2028 Summer Olympics,” said Chicago President and CEO Kevin Warren Bears. “The Chicago Bears remain aggressively committed to the growth of girls flag football. This is the beginning, but access and equity begin with these historic first moments that inspire the Chicago Bears and me personally for the future of girls’ flag football for generations to come.”
The IHSA Girls Flag Football Advisory Committee has met twice and will attempt to finalize the State Series rules and structure at upcoming meetings. The IHSA will also issue a request for proposals to identify sites interested in hosting the state finals at an upcoming board meeting.
“There is still much work to be done before we crown the first IHSA Girls Flag Football state champion,” said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Tracie Henry, who will serve as IHSA Girls Flag Football administrator. “We have a group of people who are committed to seeing the sport thrive and having a top-notch state tournament. One area where we know we will need help is officiating. We hope to recruit some new officials to the sport while also utilizing current IHSA officials in other sports, including 11-player and 8-player soccer, and also add referee girls flag football licenses can.”
Individuals interested in becoming IHSA Girls Flag Football officials can begin the licensing process on May 1, 2024.
The inaugural IHSA Girls Flag Football State Finals will be Friday and Saturday, June 11-12. October 2024.
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