KANSAS CITY, Mo. – This morning, the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) officially named the Kansas City Chiefs as the presenting sponsor for the KSHSAA State Flag Football Championships.
As the presenting sponsor, the Chiefs will be represented through in-game activations and programming. The club will also serve as the exclusive presenting sponsor for an annual KSHSAA State Flag Football Event, which will include on-site activations and promotional initiatives during each season. This partnership further establishes the Chiefs commitment to growing girls Flag Football across Kansas and creating opportunities for coaching education, youth participation, equipment support, and further advocacy for sanctioning the sport at the high school level.
“On behalf of the Kansas City Chiefs, it is an honor to partner with KSHSAA to host the High School Flag Football State Championship for the foreseeable future,” Chiefs Head of Football Development Sheila Sickau said. “It is a pleasure to welcome four of the top high school Flag Football programs to Wichita this weekend to round out the work done by both organizations and thousands of athletes, coaches, parents, and others across Kansas to create an opportunity for future high school students to compete in sanctioned Flag Football.”
Semifinals play for the KSHSAA High School Flag Football Championship will take place on Saturday, Oct. 17, at the SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas. Shawnee Mission West High School (12-0) and St. Thomas Aquinas High School (10-0) will face off at 11 a.m. followed by Shawnee Mission South High School (12-0) vs. St. James Academy (10-1) at 1 p.m. The inaugural KSHSAA Flag Football State Championship game will begin at 5 p.m. and will be streamed live at www.nfhsnetwork.com. For more information, please visit www.kshsaa.org/react/fanpage/6440.
“As a longtime educator, I know students connected to peers, adults, and the school community will achieve at an elevated level in the classroom - and Flag has provided an opportunity to be more inclusive for students in our member schools that have not been part of an activity program,” KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick said. “We are grateful to our partners and school leaders whose efforts help make this possible.”
In April 2026, the KSHSAA board approved sanctioning making girls Flag Football an official sanctioned sport at the high school level. Kansas became the 18th state to sanction girls high school Flag Football, reflecting on the sport’s continued growth and creating a sustainable pathway for participation in youth sports through high school and beyond. As part of the club’s “Let Her Play” campaign leading up to the vote, more than 11,000 people petitioned in support of the sanctioning, which played a pivotal role in urging Kansas leaders to expand access and opportunities for female student-athletes at the youth and high school levels.