Logo courtesy of T-Mobile

GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Gridley High School has received a $5,000 grant for its football program through T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights competition, giving the school a financial boost and a chance to compete for a $1 million football field upgrade.

T-Mobile will present the grant to the school at a later date.

The company launched the program to support high school football programs in smaller communities. Now in its third year, Friday Night 5G Lights will distribute more than $8.4 million in prizes to schools across the country. Gridley High is among 1,000 schools selected to receive a $5,000 grant through the program’s weekly sweepstakes.

The grant can help Gridley High address needs within its football program and support student-athletes. The school also remains eligible to advance in the larger competition.

“Friday Night 5G Lights has become about so much more than football. It’s about celebrating the pride, traditions and connections that make small towns special,” T-Mobile Chief Operating Officer Jon Freier said. “This season, we’re going even bigger and opening the door for more schools than ever to win because every community deserves its moment in the spotlight.”

Schools in U.S. communities with populations under 150,000 can participate in the competition. Forty schools will eventually advance as division finalists, with 10 selected from each of four regions: West, East, Midwest and South.

Each division finalist will receive $25,000 and a T-Mobile-hosted home game celebration. Four division champions will receive $250,000, a Gronk Fitness gym valued at $90,000 and a $5,000 student leadership award. One school will ultimately receive the $1 million football field upgrade.

The competition also includes public voting. Voting for the 40 division finalists will run Oct. 8-25. The four schools receiving the most votes will advance to the final round, with voting scheduled Oct. 29-Nov. 8.

T-Mobile plans to announce the $1 million grand prize winner Nov. 12.

The Friday Night 5G Lights program began in 2024. T-Mobile said more than 750 schools have received prizes through the program during its first two seasons.

Gridley High’s $5,000 grant presentation date has not yet been announced.