Now it’s your turn, America. Four-time Super
Bowl Champion Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski joins T-Mobile in inviting
Americans everywhere to help choose the ultimate champion
Each high school will receive $25,000 and a
home game celebration this season as the finalists compete for the
grand prize of a multi-million-dollar 5G football field upgrade
T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced the Top 16 finalists in its
Friday Night 5G Lights competition, which saw more than 1,700 high
schools from small towns in all 50 states compete for a chance to
win a game-changing 5G technology upgrade for their football
fields. The remaining 16 finalists will each receive a $25,000
grant for their school, along with an epic T-Mobile celebration at
an upcoming home football game where the Un-carrier will be onsite
with games, giveaways and free food at the concession stands.
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Meet the Finalists: T-Mobile Reveals Top
16 High Schools in Friday Night 5G Lights Competition. Now it’s
your turn, America. Four-time Super Bowl Champion Rob “Gronk”
Gronkowski joins T-Mobile in inviting Americans everywhere to help
choose the ultimate champion. Each high school will receive $25,000
and a home game celebration this season as the finalists compete
for the grand prize of a multi-million-dollar 5G football field
upgrade. (Graphic: Business Wire)
“Small town America went all out for Friday Night 5G Lights,”
said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group. “This
competition truly showcases what makes small towns so special and
the incredible sense of community that exists in these areas. We’re
excited to see which school will walk away with the grand prize and
the ultimate 5G-powered game night experience, bringing their
community together like never before.”
The finalists will move onto the final face-off, where people
across the country will help decide which deserving high school
will win an extraordinary $2 million grand prize to upgrade one
small town’s pride and joy: its high school football field. The
grand prize includes a $100,000 grant for the school, weight room
from GronkFitness.com, new teched-out scoreboard, consultation with
football field experience experts, 5G network upgrades package and
an epic tailgate party celebration with live music and a 5G-powered
halftime drone show. Whew!
Meet the Top 16 Contenders
The Friday Night 5G Lights finalists were each selected for
their immense pride in their hometown and a compelling story for
how an Un-carrier-style upgrade would transform their high school
football stadium and local community. These are the Top 16:
- Beaumont United High School (Beaumont, Texas): The
Timberwolves know hard work pays off and are hoping to transform
their playing field and improve the game experience for players and
fans after being impacted by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and Imelda in
2019.
- Crest Ridge High School (Centerview, Mo.): Located an
hour east of Kansas City in the small town of Centerview, Missouri,
lie the Crest Ridge Cougars. As a vital part of the community, the
Cougars are seeking vital upgrades to their football field and
facilities, including updated lighting, new turf, a new track,
renovated press box and locker room to increase player safety and
wellness and restore community pride for years to come.
- Dumas High School (Dumas, Texas): Located just north of
Amarillo, Texas, is the home of the Dumas Demons, ready to bring
the competition and give their 57-year-old stadium an upgrade that
includes new seating, stadium lighting, technology and
amenities.
- Greenwood High School (Greenwood, Ark.): Based just
south of Fort Smith in Greenwood, Arkansas, the Greenwood Bulldogs
are 11-time state football championship winners, the last being in
2023. They hope to create a state-of-the-art facility by upgrading
seating, turf, technology and increasing accessibility that will
serve the needs of their students, families and the community.
- Hughson High School (Hughson, Calif.): Known for its
vast orchards of almonds and walnuts, the northern California town
is home to the 1997 and 2022 State Champion Hughson Huskies. With a
football program nearly 100 years old, this community football
program is rich in tradition and celebrates championship teams for
life. The football field is the home for many activities beyond
football and needs a new scoreboard, upgrades to both the locker
room and weight room and updated bathrooms.
- Inola High School (Inola, Okla.): Known as the “Hay
Capital of the World” and home of the Longhorns, Inola, Oklahoma
embodies the heart and soul of small-town Friday night lights
football. The funding would not only breathe new life into the
football program by replacing badly worn turf but would also
replace and upgrade workout equipment and gear used daily by
hundreds of students. The equipment has endured countless games and
supported all Inola athletes since the 1980s, and updates would
ensure that future generations of athletes can pursue their dreams
with pride.
- Loveland High School (Loveland, Colo.): Known as the
“Outdoor Sculpture Capitol of Colorado” and home to the Red Wolves,
the team is seeking vital infrastructure upgrades to the field’s
lighting, bleachers and sound system that will completely transform
their athletic departments and allow the Red Wolves the ability to
host home games that will bring the entire Loveland community
together.
- Manchester West High School (Manchester, N.H.): Based in
southern New Hampshire, the Manchester West Blue Knights seek to
make an even bigger impact on the field and community with the
addition of home and visitor facilities, a new sound system, a
weight room renovation and new community green space, all while
still providing resources to youth football players to support the
future of the game.
- Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf (Faribault, Minn.):
Hailing from Faribault, Minnesota, the MSAD Trojans are all about
school spirit, with students from all corners of Minnesota coming
together to achieve their goals and prepare for life after
graduation. The Trojans are seeking a new scoreboard to provide
better accessibility for deaf spectators, new bleachers, a new
concession stand and upgrades to both the team and visitor locker
rooms.
- Paradise High School (Paradise, Calif.): Located in
northern California, the Paradise Bobcats and community show
resiliency, determination and heart as they continue to rebuild
after the devastating Camp Fire in 2018. Rebuilding the concession
stand, upgrading the lighting, ADA access and improving parking and
seating would make a tremendous difference to the school and
community.
- Ridgeview High School (Redmond, Ore.): Located in
central Oregon, Ridgeview is home to beautiful, majestic mountain
views in Oregon's high desert. The region is a haven for nature
lovers and thrill-seekers. Ridgeview High School says it would
greatly benefit by being able to create an improved game-day
experience for athletes, fans and guests.
- Saks High School (Anniston, Ala.): Located just east of
Birmingham, Alabama, the Saks Wildcats have a need to improve
outdated seating, install energy-efficient lighting and create
ADA-compliant areas so they will be ready to tackle adversity head
on and lead the team to more victories.
- Salisbury High School (Salisbury, N.C.): As the second
oldest functioning school building in North Carolina at 99 years
old, Salisbury would be able to upgrade the current lighting system
on the field, so it is safe and welcoming for all who use it,
whether for athletic competitions, community gatherings or youth
programs.
- Superior Junior/Senior High School (Superior, Ariz.):
Centered in a small mining town east of the Phoenix, the Superior
Panthers understand the hard work and determination it takes to
lead their community to victory. Upgrades to the fields, lights and
a new weight room would make a huge impact on the school and
community.
- Ware Junior/Senior High School (Ware, Mass.): With a
town population of approximately 10,000, the school’s upgrade would
provide much-needed support to a small, proud and high-achieving
football community that could greatly benefit from updated lights
on the field and provide the necessary resources to start the
process of improving the fan experience with more seating and
permanent bathrooms.
- Warren Central High School (Bowling Green, Ky.): Home of
the fire-breathing Warren Dragons, this football team is resilient,
dedicated and ready to go for victory, seeking upgrades to its
weight room, press box technology, scoreboard and team meeting
spaces for all student-athletes and coaches across all sports
programs to benefit from.
An additional 300 schools each walked away from Friday Night 5G
Lights with $5,000 through T-Mobile’s $5K Fridays. The giveaway —
which totals $1.5 million — ran through the competition’s six-week
entry period to give high schools nationwide some extra cash for
the project of their choice.
Choosing the Champion
Now, you — yes, you, America — have the power to help crown the
winner. Here’s how. Until Nov. 12, anyone in the U.S. can head to
www.FridayNight5GLights.com to learn more about the Top 16 high
schools and their stories via a 90-second Instagram video from each
finalist. Just hit that heart on your favorite school and your vote
is in.
There is no limit to how many times you and your community can
share the video on all your social channels, so start spreading the
word for your favorite school! The high school with the most-liked
video will be crowned as the ultimate Friday Night 5G Lights
champion and score the grand prize package. Results will be
announced in early December.
In addition to the Instagram video, each school will participate
in a day of giving back to a local food bank before Nov. 12.
Through its partnership with Feeding America®, T-Mobile will help
identify local food banks near each of the Top 16 schools to host
these drives. According to Feeding America, some of the most severe
levels of food insecurity are found in rural communities — 9 out of
10 counties with the highest rates of food insecurity are rural.
This effort not only combats food insecurity in communities near
each of the Top 16 finalists, but also boosts team spirit as
students work together to make a difference.
“It’s been incredible to see the excitement and community spirit
pouring in from schools all over the country,” said Rob Gronkowski.
“Friday nights truly unite people and watching the creative ways
people show their school pride has been amazing. I can’t wait for
the next stage of the competition and to see how the Top 16
finalists step up their game for their shot at the grand
prize.”
T-Mobile’s Ongoing Commitment to Small Towns
Showing love to small towns is nothing new for T-Mobile. Since
its 5G for All commitment to bring the most advanced wireless
services to rural America in April 2021, T-Mobile has made
incredible progress as the nation's largest and fastest 5G
network.
T-Mobile has invested over $14 million in small towns across the
nation through Hometown Grants and has connected over 6 million
students through Project 10Million, T-Mobile's $10.7 billion
initiative offering connectivity for eligible student families
across the country. The Un-carrier has also opened nearly 600
stores in small towns while expanding its network to bring more
than 500,000 square miles of 5G coverage to rural areas — now
covering more than 98% of Americans across 2 million square miles.
Plus, T-Mobile 5G Home Internet and Business Internet give homes
and businesses across the country access to reliable and affordable
broadband options.
Friday Night 5G Lights is yet another way T-Mobile is
strengthening its connection with small towns, bringing communities
together under the bright lights of local football fields while
showcasing the power and potential of 5G.
Learn more and cast your vote by visiting
www.FridayNight5GLights.com.
Follow @TMobileNews on X, formerly known as Twitter, to stay up
to date with the latest company news.
About T-Mobile
T-Mobile US, Inc. (NASDAQ: TMUS) is America’s supercharged
Un-carrier, delivering an advanced 4G LTE and transformative
nationwide 5G network that will offer reliable connectivity for
all. T-Mobile’s customers benefit from its unmatched combination of
value and quality, unwavering obsession with offering them the best
possible service experience and undisputable drive for disruption
that creates competition and innovation in wireless and beyond.
Based in Bellevue, Wash., T-Mobile provides services through its
subsidiaries and operates its flagship brands, T-Mobile, Metro by
T-Mobile and Mint Mobile. For more information please visit:
https://www.t-mobile.com
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