The Apex Times
Above the Noise
Scores
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
SportsNextScores and schedulesUpdating
Back to front
Chiefs to Serve as Presenting Sponsor for KSHSAA State Flag Football Championships
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Sports/The Apex Times/Oct 15, 4:00 PM EDT

Chiefs to Serve as Presenting Sponsor for KSHSAA State Flag Football Championships

Kansas City will host this weekend’s semifinals and inaugural championship game, with the Chiefs joining KSHSAA to expand high school flag football and increase its access for girls.

By The Apex Times Newsroom2 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Kansas City Chiefs have been named the presenting sponsor for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) State Flag Football Championships, an arrangement KSHSAA said will include Chiefs-driven in-game activations and an annual state flag event.

KSHSAA’s semifinals are set for Saturday, Oct. 17, at the SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas. Shawnee Mission West High School (12-0) will play St. Thomas Aquinas High School (10-0) at 11 a.m., followed by Shawnee Mission South High School (12-0) against St. James Academy (10-1) at 1 p.m.

The inaugural KSHSAA State Flag Football Championship game begins at 5 p.m. and will be streamed live at NFHS Network, according to the Chiefs’ release.

Chiefs Senior Manager of Football Development Sheila Sickau said the partnership is designed to support the event “for the foreseeable future” and to create a competition opportunity for sanctioned high school flag football programs in Kansas.

KSHSAA Executive Director Bill Faflick tied the presentation partnership to flag’s broader student access, noting the sport’s role in expanding participation across member schools.

The Chiefs’ announcement also pointed to the governing body’s April 2026 decision to sanction girls Flag Football as an official high school sport in Kansas. KSHSAA said Kansas became the 18th state to make girls flag football official, and that a “Let Her Play” campaign garnered more than 11,000 petitions leading up to the approval.

Why It Matters

  • This weekend’s Chiefs-KSHSAA partnership puts an NFL franchise’s branding behind a new state title pathway for high school flag football in Kansas.
  • The inaugural championship game adds a new focal point to the Kansas high school flag football calendar, with a semifinals-to-title format at a single venue.
  • KSHSAA’s sanctioning of girls flag football, highlighted alongside the sponsorship, indicates continued expansion of participation opportunities in the sport.
  • A presenting sponsor can also increase event visibility through programmed activations, which can help drive youth and community interest in sanctioned play.

Sources

Key Facts

  • The Chiefs were named presenting sponsor of the KSHSAA High School Flag Football State Championships.
  • The Chiefs’ role includes in-game activations and an exclusive presenting sponsor designation for an annual KSHSAA State Flag Football Event.
  • Semifinals run Saturday, Oct. 17 at the SCHEELS Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kansas.
  • Shawnee Mission West (12-0) plays St. Thomas Aquinas (10-0) at 11 a.m., then Shawnee Mission South (12-0) plays St. James Academy (10-1) at 1 p.m.
  • The inaugural state championship game is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will be streamed on NFHS Network.
  • KSHSAA approved girls Flag Football to become an official sanctioned high school sport in April 2026, citing continued growth and a pathway for more student participation.