DETROIT – Ford Field welcomed a groundbreaking moment in Michigan high school sports Sunday as several teams competed for the state’s first-ever girls flag football championship.
The tournament marks a milestone for a rapidly expanding sport that has seen exponential growth in just three years.
St. Joseph High School was crowned the first-ever Michigan Girls High School Flag Football State Champion, winning 21-20 against Brighton High School.
Rapid growth signals strong demand
The Michigan Girls High School Flag Football League, organized by the Detroit Lions, has experienced remarkable expansion since its inception.
Starting with just four teams in 2023, the league grew to 24 teams in 2024 before reaching 41 participating schools this spring.
According to Chris Fritzsching, Executive Director of Football Education for the Detroit Lions, the momentum shows no signs of slowing.
“We’ve got over 60 schools that are interested already in playing for 2026,” Fritzsching said. “With the exposure happening here, we hope it’s going to grow further.”
Building a new sports legacy
The championship tournament featured division leaders from across the state, including top-seeded Brighton, Clawson, Redford Union, Lapeer, L’Anse Creuse North, St. Joseph, and Gibraltar Carlson. These teams emerged from seven divisions: All Grit, All Us, It Takes More, One Pride, All Fight, We Want More, and All Heart leagues.
Brighton High School coach Brian Lemons attributes the sport’s rising popularity to increased awareness and firsthand experience.
“People are getting educated in what we’re doing, and it’s causing word of mouth,” Lemons said. “Once they get into it and experience the realness of it, it’s kind of contagious.”
National recognition and future growth
Michigan aims to join 15 other states where girls high school flag football is already a state-sanctioned sport. The Detroit Lions, Nike, and USA Football currently provide full uniform and equipment support to participating teams. The National Federation of State High School Associations plans to release an official girls’ high school flag football rule book, further legitimizing the sport.
For players like Ava Swanigan from L’Anse Creuse High School North, the growth means more opportunities to compete.
“I love it because if there’s more schools then we can play more games, so I love when the season is longer,” Swanigan said.
Looking ahead, discussions are underway about potentially moving the sport to the fall season. The league also seeks to recruit more coaches to support its rapid expansion.
