(WEAA) — Baltimore County high school girls are suiting up to hit the field by fall 2026.
The Ravens and Under Armour have partnered with Baltimore County Public Schools to bring a girls flag football program to the county this fall, providing grant funding and custom uniforms to get athletes on the field. Each participating team receives $10,000 in funding to help build and sustain the program at their school.
And this is bigger than Baltimore County. The addition of Baltimore and St. Mary's counties brings 27 new schools into the fold, pushing total statewide participation to 132 high schools — and moving girls flag football closer than ever to becoming a fully state-sanctioned sport in Maryland.
To date, the Ravens have invested over $1 million into this initiative across the state.
This marks year four of the Ravens' girls flag football initiative, which launched in 2023 with all 10 public high schools in Frederick County. The program has grown every year since — adding Baltimore City, Montgomery, Washington, Calvert, Charles, Howard Prince George's counties along the way.
"As we move closer to statewide sanctioning, we believe the sport is well-positioned for continued growth in 2026 and beyond," said Ravens Senior Vice President of Marketing Brad Downs. "We strongly believe that female athletes should have the opportunity to play football throughout Maryland, and we are working diligently to make that vision a reality."
Baltimore County Public Schools Director of Athletics Michael Sye put it plainly: "Girls' flag football is more than a new sport — it's a movement." Sye emphasized that every time female student athletes step onto the field, they're building confidence, leadership and resilience that extends far beyond the game.
The momentum isn't just local. The International Olympic Committee added flag football to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games in October 2023, and the NCAA has recognized it as an emerging sport. What's happening in Maryland is part of something much larger — and these student athletes are right in the middle of it.