Sports

Two OSUs kick off Regional Flag Football Championships

Road to Dallas begins this month

A pair of OSUs will kick off the 2007 NIRSA Regional Flag Football Championships in late October. The Ohio State University and Oklahoma State University host their Regional Flag Football Championships October 26-28 as the Road to Dallas officially gets under way.

For the second year in a row, all eight extramural regions will have a Regional Flag Football Championship. Regional winners qualify for the second annual NIRSA National Flag Football Championships hosted by the University of Texas at Dallas January 3-5, 2008. The NIRSA Regional and National Flag Football Championships are part of the National Campus Championship Series.

The 14th annual Ohio State regional will be played on three fields, including the award-winning Fred Beekman Park, which opened in 1999. A total of 28 teams competed last year, with the UNC-Charlotte Pure Playaz taking the men's division title, and James Madison University Team ROC winning the co-rec division. The last day for team registrations is October 22.

A total of six lighted fields will be used for the Oklahoma State regional, with the championship games played at Boone Pickens Stadium. OSU's Colvin Recreation Center, which opened in 2004 and received a NIRSA Outstanding Sports Facilities Award in 2005, will be open for all participants and staff throughout the tournament. Last year's regional had 60 registered teams but was cancelled due to severe snowstorms that blanketed the campus with over a foot of snow. Oklahoma State moved the tournament dates up to October this year to prevent a repeat performance by Mother Nature. The last day to register is October 22.

"I'm excited for the start of another year of NCCS events," said Dan Hazlett, Chair of the National Campus Championship Series Committee. "Rich with college football tradition, there aren't two better places to begin the 2007 NCCS Flag Football Championships than Columbus, Ohio and Stillwater, Oklahoma. The two OSUs will no doubt set the standard for the upcoming regional championships, culminating with our Second Annual NCCS National Flag Football Championships at UT Dallas."

A complete list of regionals, including contact information for each, is available on the NIRSA website.