NFL Flag Championships Heads to Canton in July

The NFL Flag Championships will be hosted on July 19-21 at the Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio, and feature over 280 teams of girls and boys with NFL Flag regional winners representing all 32 teams.

NFL Flag, operated by RCX Sports, will produce the three-day competition in partnership with Omaha Productions footsteps from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The NFL Flag Championships will feature some of the best girls’ and boys’ flag football players from across the country and around the world. International youth flag football teams representing multiple countries will compete in an NFL Flag Championships showcase.

“The inaugural NFL Flag Championships is the most prominent stage these athletes will have ever played on,” said Izell Reese, chief executive officer of RCX Sports, executive director of NFL Flag and a Global Flag Football Ambassador. “As we look ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games, it’s encouraging to see how our mission of increasing accessibility and inclusivity has led to more kids getting involved in NFL Flag. I’m excited to see how many athletes competing here in Ohio may be competing to represent their country on the global stage in four years.”

Flag football’s rapid growth and popularity is reflected in an exhibit inside the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Flag football is played by over 20 million people in more than 100 countries across six continents, with female athletes driving some of the fastest growth. The Pro Bowl Games youth participants as well as Global Flag Ambassadors will make appearances at the event to promote the growth of flag football and bring awareness to the event.

“We are honored to host the NFL Flag Championships and to welcome these flag football athletes and families from around the world,” said Michael Crawford, president and chief executive officer of Hall of Fame Resort & Entertainment Company. “Hosting this type of youth sporting event at our world-class sports complex directly speaks to our mission, which is to Honor the Past and Inspire the Future. Youth flag football athletes of all skill levels will be competing at the highest level in the shadows of the place that houses to best to ever play the game.”