INDIANAPOLIS, IN (September 17, 2024) — For the third consecutive year, National High School Colors Week is being celebrated this week as many of the 12-million plus students involved in high school sports, performing arts and other activity programs – along with millions of fans in communities nationwide – will be proudly displaying the distinctive colors of their schools.

The NFHS is sponsoring and promoting National High School Colors Week to encourage continued support for the importance of education-based activity programs in the nation’s 20,000 high schools.

Throughout the week, students, parents and other fans can post photos to social media in their high school colors and share what they love most about high school football using #ThisIsHSFootball and #HSColorsWeek.

“Millions of Americans made lasting friendships and have great memories from their involvement in high school sports and other activity programs,” said Dr. Karissa Niehoff, CEO of the NFHS. “Our school colors, mascot and song are things we proudly carry with us throughout our lives, and this week is a special time to celebrate those once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

While football may be considered the traditional fall sport with red and white, blue and gold, green and white, black and orange, purple and gold (among many others) uniforms, millions of other students this week will be competing in cross country, field hockey, flag football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis and volleyball. And there are also students involved in speech and debate, music and theatre activities.

“National High School Colors Week is a time to celebrate the memories, tradition and pride of high school sports and other activity programs – not just for the 12-plus million currently involved in these programs, but for the hundreds of millions of men and women whose lives and careers were pointed in the right direction as a result of their participation,” Niehoff said. “The opportunity to wear a high school uniform with the school colors within an education-based setting does not exist in most countries around the world. It is a privilege, not a right, and one that is not taken lightly, as we discovered a few years ago during the pandemic.

“High school sports have been a part of communities throughout our country for more than 100 years, and National High School Colors Week is a great time for communities to show those colors at events throughout the week – and ending the week by packing the house at the Friday night football game.”

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About the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS)

The NFHS, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the national leadership organization for high school sports and performing arts activities. Since 1920, the NFHS has led the development of education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts activities that help students succeed in their lives. The NFHS sets direction for the future by building awareness and support, improving the participation experience, establishing consistent standards and rules for competition, and helping those who oversee high school sports and activities. The NFHS writes playing rules for 17 sports for boys and girls at the high school level. Through its 50 member state associations and the District of Columbia, the NFHS reaches more than 19,500 high schools and 12 million participants in high school activity programs, including more than 7.6 million in high school sports. As the recognized national authority on interscholastic activity programs, the NFHS conducts national meetings; sanctions interstate events; offers online publications and services for high school coaches and officials; sponsors professional organizations for high school coaches, officials, speech and debate coaches, and music adjudicators; serves as the national source for interscholastic coach training; and serves as a national information resource of interscholastic athletics and activities. For more information, visit the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Bruce Howard, 317-972-6900
Director of Publications and Communications
National Federation of State High School Associations
bhoward@nfhs.org

Chris Boone, 317-972-6900
Assistant Director of Publications and Communications
National Federation of State High School Associations
cboone@nfhs.org

Nate Perry, 317-972-6900
Manager of Media Relations
National Federation of State High School Associations
nperry@nfhs.org