North Carolina, Kentucky sanction girls flag football, bring total to 23 states

Earlier this month, North Carolina and Kentucky became the latest states to sanction girls flag football as a varsity sport, bringing the total to 23 states.

“Today’s decision represents a meaningful investment in the future of our student-athletes, in this case females, and the continued evolution of school-based athletics in North Carolina,” Que Tucker, commissioner of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) said in a news release May 6. “Girls flag football offers an inclusive, fast-paced and highly engaging opportunity for students to compete, connect and grow through sport, and we’re proud to bring it into our championship program.”

Flag football has emerged as one of the fastest growing high school sports in the country, with five states sanctioning the sport in the last several weeks. In late April, Kansas and Maryland approved the sport, followed by New Jersey, North Carolina and Kentucky.

In North Carolina, girls flag football was approved as a fall sport beginning in the 2026-27 school year, while Kentucky approved it as a spring sport beginning with the 2027-28 season.

The sanctioning in North Carolina was supported by the NFL and the Carolina Panthers, as the NFL has worked to develop the sport at the grassroots and scholastic levels and been behind efforts to sanction the sport across the country.

“Sanctioning high school flag football marks a major milestone for girls’ athletics in North Carolina,” Panthers owners David and Nicole Tepper said in a statement. “The Panthers are proud to be a driving force behind this movement beginning with the launch of the first pilot program in 2022 with 19 schools and followed by continued investment under the leadership of Riley Fields and the Panthers Community Relations team.

“Today, the sport has grown to more than 150 participating schools statewide, reflecting the commitment of coaches, school administrators and participants—and the growing momentum for the sport across the Carolinas.”

Kentucky adds pickleball

Along with girls flag football, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) sanctioned pickleball as a fall sport beginning in the 2027-28 season, becoming one of the first states to sanction it. Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland have held pickleball championships since 2024, while more than 20 high schools in Utah have pickleball clubs.

Sanctioning pickleball received an affirmative vote from more than one-third of KHSAA membership, according to the association.