Women’s Football Alliance championship weekend set for Canton

CANTON, Ohio – The Women’s Football Alliance national championships in three divisions are scheduled for Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton this month.

Teams from the women’s tackle league will head to Northeast Ohio for games on Friday and Saturday, July 21-22. It’s the third consecutive year the league’s championship weekend will be held in the stadium.

The WFA partners with the Hall of Fame Village for the two-day event. Six semifinal games are set to take place in three divisions today – Saturday, July 8 – in higher-seeded cities before the winners square off July 21-22 in Canton.

“We’re pretty excited. It’s a great event, it’s a great weekend, and we’re ready to converge on Ohio,” said Wyn Flato, operations director for the WFA and former team owner of the 2022 Division II national champion Mile High Blaze.

The league encompasses 60-plus teams in WFA Pro (Division I), Division II, Division III and a developmental league that supports new, small-market teams in training, she said.

The Canton weekend will include four games – championships in the three divisions and an All-American game.

“Of course we would love to get 5,000-plus people there,” Flato said. “But two of our games are taking place on Friday, so that’s a tough one. Then the all-American game and the pro game are on Saturday.”

Saturday morning, the all-American players will host a free girls camp for youths up to age 18. Last year it drew 50 to 60 girls; this year they are hoping for 100. Players go through drills, participate in game scenarios and receive a t-shirt.

“It’s a really neat time to see the light bulb go off and their eyes get real big – ‘Oh my gosh, I can do this, too?’ ” Flato said. “It’s really special.”

Despite some successes for women’s sports at certain levels – women’s college basketball and the U.S. soccer team, to name two – it’s still a challenge to get the word out about women’s sports, said Elise Bigley, director of marketing and community outreach for Northeast Ohio Women’s Sports Alliance.

“At least comparing the last few years that we have had the last national championships in Canton, I would say it definitely is an uphill battle getting people to come out,” she said. “Having a national championship has its pros and cons. The pro is you can rally a whole bunch of people from all different areas. But on the downside there isn’t a local connection necessarily.”

Cleveland previously fielded the Fusion, but they have not played since 2019, Bigley said, as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and a potential sale of the team.

The non-profit NOWSA promotes recreational adult women’s sports, connecting athletic organizations and the community. The WFA is the world’s largest and longest running competitive women’s football league. More than 25 WFA alumni have accepted NFL coaching and scouting positions, including Cleveland Browns’ assistant wide receivers coach Callie Brownson, a member of the WFA advisory board.

If you go: WFA championships

When: Friday and Saturday, July 21-22.

Where: Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, 2121 George Halas Dr. NW, Canton.

Cost: Single- ($20) and two-day ($30) passes are on sale via Ticketmaster.

TV: Women’s Sports Network will air Divisions II and III championships July 21; ESPN2 will carry the Division I title game July 22.

Competition: Here are brackets and seeding for the two-day competition.

Camp: A free camp for girls who want to learn more about playing football is Saturday morning, July 22. For details, go online.

Sports betting is now legal in Ohio. Bets can be placed at sportsbooks, including DraftKings Ohio Sportsbook, BetMGM Ohio, Fan Duel Ohio, Barstool Ohio, Caesars Ohio, Bet365, PointsBet and Tipico.

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