The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association ruled girls’ flag football is now the state’s 26th championship sport. In recent years, women’s and girls’ sports have drawn national attention over transgender athletes’ participation, leading to legal battles rising to the Supreme Court.
The MPSSAA announced on April 25 that the sport will be recognized at the varsity level in Maryland beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
“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,” Andy Warner, MPSSAA executive director, said in a release. “We are thrilled to see these young women compete for state titles and showcase their talents under the lights of our high school stadiums.”
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The Baltimore Ravens launched the pilot league in Frederick County Public Schools in the fall of 2023, marking the 29th sport offered by FCPS.
“Being the kickoff county for this sport is a historic achievement for FCPS, and we will always be able to say with pride: it all started here in Frederick County,” FCPS told the Washington Examiner on Tuesday.
The Baltimore Ravens, in partnership with Under Armour, provided uniforms for 10 teams during the pilot season. Now, the sport has grown across the state and is offered in 132 schools.
“Across our schools, there is a shared excitement for this opportunity, and as the Ravens’ banners proudly state in our stadiums, ‘Football is for Girls,’” FCPS said.
Keira Speikes played on the Urbana High School team for FCPS in 2023 as part of the pilot program. She then became the first commitment in history for girls’ flag football at Mount St. Mary’s University in 2025. The school said the girls’ flag football program would begin competing in the spring of 2026.
Women’s sports have come under fire in the state. The 2026 Fairness in Girls’ Sports Act, introduced by state Delegate Kathy Szeliga, would have restricted varsity and junior varsity sports to biological females only.
Szeliga told the Washington Examiner, “With this opportunity comes a responsibility to protect biological girls in girls’ sports.”
“Girls’ sports only work when they are fair. That means protecting the integrity of competition, and the safety of female athletes, in all sports and especially more aggressive ones,” Szeliga said.
The bill did not make it out of committee for the 2026 session, which ended on April 13.
“I will bring this legislation back in 2027 and every year until it passes,” Szeliga said. “This act ensures that junior varsity and varsity girls’ high school sports are for biological girls. Because this is about more than a game. It’s about protecting girls.”
In January, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments over whether laws in West Virginia and Idaho restricting women’s sports to biological females were constitutional.
The Maryland State Education Association guidance states that all students have the right to participate, “including the right to participate in athletic or extracurricular activities and events and the use of locker rooms, restrooms, or facilities consistent with their gender identity.”
“Participation should provide for the opportunity for all students to participate in interscholastic athletics in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on a student’s records,” according to MPSSAA guidelines.
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The sport itself has also gained national attention. Men’s and women’s flag football will make its debut as an Olympic sport at the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles.
The Washington Examiner reached out to MPSSAA and Urbana High School for comment.
