Top Cincinnati teams in first year of OHSAA flag football playoffs

This spring marked a first for the state of Ohio: the beginning of an Ohio High School Athletic Association-sanctioned flag football competition. Now, the playoffs are upon us. Flag football first came to Cincinnati thanks to the Cincinnati Bengals and NFL Flag .

Through partnerships with USA Football and Nike, the Bengals provide equipment and uniforms to local schools and give local athletes opportunities to develop and display their skills. Southwest Ohio's pilot season of flag football took place with six schools in 2024, then expanded to 20 teams in 2025. After the OHSAA officially sanctioned the sport this offseason, the number of participating Southwest Ohio schools rose to 41.

Flag football is rising in popularity not just in the United States, but across the globe. Seventeen states currently sanction flag football as a varsity sport, and the sport will make its Olympic debut at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Cincinnati is quickly establishing itself as a hotbed for flag football talent.

Some of the best young players in the country call the Queen City home , and Badin won the first state championship in 2025. As the 2026 OHSAA flag football playoffs begin with the regional tournaments on May 6, Cincinnati's best will battle it out at Badin High School for the opportunity to advance. The top eight teams will head to Paycor Stadium for the Bengals championship, and the top four will advance to the May 11 state championship at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio.