The wait is over! Today, T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) announced the final champion of its Friday Night 5G Lights competition: Inola High School from Inola, Oklahoma. After months of fierce competition among more than 1,700 high schools across all 50 states and votes from thousands of fans worldwide for the Top 16 finalists, the small town has emerged victorious, securing the grand prize (a $2 million value!) to transform its high school football field into a state-of-the-art stadium.
As the Official Wireless Sponsor of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), T-Mobile will celebrate Inola High School’s win at the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, where school representatives will receive the winning trophy.
The win delivers a grand prize valued at $2 million that 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.
The full reveal of the upgraded facilities will take place in 2025, showcasing the extensive enhancements that promise a new era of excellence for Inola High School and its surrounding community.
“Small town pride and community spirit have truly been the backbone of this competition,” said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile Consumer Group. “Inola High School and all the participants showed us what Friday night lights are really about — community, passion and resilience. We’re excited to bring this unforgettable game night experience to life with 5G technology, knowing it will inspire and unite the people of Inola like never before.”
Crowning the Champion
Inola, Oklahoma — known as the “Hay Capital of the World” — has a population of 1,897 and 423 students at Inola High School, but the small town went extra big in going for Friday Night 5G Lights victory. Along with driving more than 100 miles to Oklahoma City to pass out flyers campaigning for their school, Inola students personally called every school district in the state — over 1,700 schools — and emailed all 1,850+ principals and 540+ superintendents across all 77 counties in Oklahoma. Talk about dedication!
As the Home of the Longhorns, Inola High School has long aimed to rejuvenate its football program, which Inola High School College and Career Coordinator Deleea Meeker says needs a lot of work, with torn-up turf, a broken sound system, an outdated scoreboard and a multi-use weight room with equipment from the 1980s.
With this win, the school can now kickstart these much-needed upgrades. And it’s not just the football team’s hometown heroes, cheerleaders, band members and fans who will enjoy these upgraded facilities. All of Inola High School’s students will benefit from the new equipment, from other sports teams getting access to the new weight equipment to gym classes getting more out of their workouts.
“Winning the Friday Night 5G Lights competition is a dream come true for our students, our team and our entire community,” said Meeker. “We can’t thank T-Mobile enough for believing in the power of small-town spirit and for bringing these transformative upgrades to our school.”
Four-time Super Bowl Champion Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski, Friday Night 5G Lights ambassador, expressed his excitement for the school.
“It’s amazing to see the excitement radiating from Inola and the incredible impact this will have on their community,” said Gronkowski. “Now, they’ll have facilities that truly reflect their passion, pride and determination. The energy from all the schools in this competition has been off the charts, and I can’t wait to see how these upgrades elevate school spirit and create new opportunities for the students at Inola High School.”
The Start of Something Bigger
Inola High School’s victory is just the beginning. Thanks to the overwhelming excitement and success of the competition, T-Mobile announced that Friday Night 5G Lights will be back in 2025 and beyond to help lift up more schools and communities nationwide. This move marks another significant step in T-Mobile’s ongoing commitment to bring 5G and enhanced connectivity to small towns across America.
“Seeing the powerful effect that Friday Night 5G Lights has had on communities reaffirms our commitment to investing in small towns,” said Freier. “We’re just getting started, and we can’t wait to bring this contest back next year with even more opportunities to support and transform high school experiences across the country.”
Pre-register now for 2025 at FridayNight5GLights.com.
Small Town Impact Beyond the Field
By enhancing schools’ sports facilities, Friday Night 5G Lights highlights the importance of connectivity in small-town communities. T-Mobile’s ongoing commitment to rural America, through initiatives like this contest, aligns with the company’s mission to bring the power of 5G to every corner of the country.
Since launching its 5G for All initiative in April 2021, T-Mobile has significantly expanded its 5G network, becoming the largest and fastest 5G network in the nation. The company has opened about 600 stores in small towns and extended its network to cover over 500,000 square miles of rural 5G coverage. This expansion now reaches over 98% of Americans across 2 million square miles.
T-Mobile also offers 5G Home Internet and Business Internet, providing reliable and affordable broadband options nationwide. Moreover, through Hometown Grants, T-Mobile has invested more than $14 million in small towns, supporting various community and infrastructure projects. Additionally, T-Mobile’s Project 10Million initiative, valued at $10.7 billion, has connected over 6 million students, enhancing their access to educational resources.
And now, Friday Night 5G Lights becoming an annual competition only enhances T-Mobile’s commitment to small towns.
To learn more about Friday Night 5G Lights, visit www.FridayNight5GLights.com.
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