The Oregon School Activities Association (OSAA) voted to sanction girls high school flag football Monday, Oct. 12, making Oregon the 25th state to make girls flag an official high school sport.
The sanctioning comes as the sport continues to see rapid growth in Oregon, with 57 varsity teams and over 1,400 girls competing last season. This spring will be its first official season after two years as an emerging activity.
The Seattle Seahawks have been involved in the sport’s growth across the state, providing equipment and donating $30,000 to expand girls flag opportunities in the state. Nike, which is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, has also pledged to provide home and away jerseys for all Oregon varsity girls flag teams who compete in the inaugural
season or add a program in its first three seasons.
“The Seahawks are proud to support the growth of girls flag football across our region and help create more opportunities for young women to compete and experience the game,” said Mario Bailey, Seattle Seahawks VP of Community Engagement and Legends, in a press release.
“We are thrilled to celebrate Oregon as the latest state to sanction the sport, an important milestone that will build a stronger future for girls flag football throughout the Pacific Northwest.”
Girls flag football is now an official high school sport in half of the country, marking the latest milestone for a sport that will be making its Olympic debut in 2028 and that has been recommended by the NCAA to become championship collegiate sport by the same year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seattle Seahawks help Oregon sanction flag football, marking major milestone for the sport
