Ravens' girls flag football program expands in fourth year

The program now includes Baltimore County and St. Mary's County public schools.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 9:22pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented girls flag football game, with sharp planes of navy, gold, and red colors overlapping to capture the dynamic movement and energy of the sport.The Ravens' expanding girls flag football program aims to provide more opportunities for female athletes to compete on the gridiron across Maryland.Baltimore Today

The Baltimore Ravens' girls flag football program is entering its fourth year, with the team expanding the initiative to include high school students from Baltimore County and St. Mary's County public schools. The goal is to make girls flag football a state-sanctioned sport in Maryland.

Why it matters

The Ravens' girls flag football program aims to provide more opportunities for female athletes to play football across the state of Maryland. As the sport moves closer to statewide sanctioning, the expansion to new school districts helps secure broader participation and support for the initiative.

The details

The Ravens and their partner Under Armour have expanded the girls flag football program to include Baltimore County and St. Mary's County public schools this fall. So far, the Ravens have provided over $1 million in grant funding and uniforms to further the girls flag football initiative across Maryland.

  • The Ravens' girls flag football program is entering its fourth year in 2026.

The players

Brad Downs

The senior vice president of marketing for the Baltimore Ravens.

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What they’re saying

“As we enter the fourth year of girls high school flag football in Maryland, we're proud to partner with Baltimore County, home of our Under Armour Performance Center. We're also excited that the addition of St. Mary's secures full commitment from the Southern Maryland Athletic Conference. As we move closer to statewide sanctioning, we believe the sport is well-positioned for continued growth in 2026 and beyond. We remain just as committed in Year Four as we were at the outset and will continue to provide grant funding and uniforms alongside Under Armour to schools across the state. 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.”

— Brad Downs, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Baltimore Ravens

What’s next

The Ravens and Under Armour will continue to provide grant funding and uniforms to schools across Maryland as the state moves closer to sanctioning girls flag football as an official high school sport.

The takeaway

The expansion of the Ravens' girls flag football program to new school districts in Maryland demonstrates the team's ongoing commitment to growing opportunities for female athletes to play the sport. As the initiative moves towards statewide sanctioning, it is positioning the sport for continued growth and participation across the state.