This is more than a contest. It’s a multimillion-dollar nationwide movement to fuel school pride, performance and possibility. Friday Night 5G Lights is a T-Mobile program that supports small towns by giving high schools a chance to showcase their spirit and compete for a game-changing football field upgrade. T-Mobile launched the program last year to celebrate the strong community bonds found in small towns—especially around high school football—by enhancing the game-day experience and helping these communities shine.

Friday Night 5G Lights is a multi-phased program designed to engage schools and communities, running from April through November. While schools ultimately compete for the million-dollar prize, there will be plenty of opportunities to win weekly $5K Friday prizes for your school and to engage your school community throughout the competition.

To apply, the playing field is wide open to high schools in U.S. towns with a population of 150,000 or less. To get in the game, have an authorized representative from your school apply and share why your town’s high school football field deserves an upgrade. The application submission period goes from April 9 - September 18, so make sure your school applies early!

Visit www.t-mobile.com/brand/friday-night-5g-lights/apply to apply and www.t-mobile.com/brand/friday-night-5g-lights/rules for the official rules.

• Application Period (April 9 – September 18): During this time, schools can submit their application through Fridaynight5glights.com. 
• $5K Fridays Sweepstakes (April 9 – September 18)
• Every Friday we’ll be drawing $5K Fridays Sweepstakes winners starting July 31.
• Top Finalists Voting Period (October 8 – November 8)
• Grand Prize Winner Announced (November 12)

Entering is simple. Visit www.fridaynight5Glights.com and select the “Enter now” button to complete the entry form and tell us why your school is most deserving of the grand prize upgrade and how it will impact your community. Additionally, be prepared to share the following information:

• Name of High School
•  School Tax ID
• School Address and Address of Football Field (if different)
• School Email Address
• School Website
• School’s official social media handles and hyperlinks
• Primary & Secondary School Contact Information
• A brief 200–7007050-word summary explaining why your school needs a Friday Night 5G Lights homefield upgrade and the impact that the Friday Night 5G Lights upgrade will bring to your school and community.

The application will also ask for important files and documents, including:

• A current photo of your school’s football field and stadium (JPG, PNG, or PDF image up to 50mb).
• An image file of your official school logo to be used by T-Mobile in promotion of your school’s participation in the Friday Night 5G Lights promotion (Ideally in color and high resolution, and either EPS, SVG, AI, or JPGs file formats).
•  A photo or video spotlighting an example of your “school spirit.” This can include your football team taking the field, band members and cheerleaders cheering on the team, or the crowd celebrating after a great play. Please note that this photo may be shared on www.fridaynight5Glights.com as a school spotlight to showcase your Friday Night 5G Lights journey

The application portal has been designed to allow school officials to save a draft of their application if they need to go back and finalize their application at a later time.  School officials will use their email address as their application login when they create their password for unique identification to access their school’s application.

To ensure your community and T-Mobile sees your school spirit, be sure to post on Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) account, tag your school’s social handle and @tmobile AND use the hashtags #FN5GL and #Entry. Every post on Instagram and X counts as a bonus entry in the $5K Fridays Sweepstakes.   

A T-Mobile judging panel selects the finalists based on powerful storytelling, the potential impact of an upgrade on the school’s football field, visible school and community spirit through social engagement, and how well the school aligns with T-Mobile’s mission to empower small towns through digital connection and equitable opportunity. It’s not just about need—it’s about passion, presence, and purpose.

The winning high school will be determined by the most votes cast. It’s up to YOU to amplify the message and drive awareness to get votes for your school!

The playing field is wide open to high schools in U.S. towns with a population of 150,000 or less. To get in the game, authorized school representatives (think administrators, principals, athletic directors, coaches, teachers, etc.) can apply on behalf of their school to get the ultimate football field upgrade.

The playing field is wide open to all high schools in U.S. towns with a population of 150,000 or less.

Entries begin April 9, 2026, and must be received by September 18, 2026 (11:59 PM PT).

Every high school that enters the Friday Night 5G Lights contest is automatically entered for a chance to win $5,000 in T-Mobile’s "$5K Fridays " weekly sweepstakes. Between July 31 and September 18, T-Mobile will randomly select a total of 1,000 schools; 300 winners will be selected in the first week, followed by 100 winners for the remaining seven weeks — to win $5,000 each. Students, parents, staff, and the whole community can boost their school’s chances of winning the sweepstakes by posting spirited photos—like pep rallies or spirit days—on Instagram or X (Twitter). Every correctly tagged post counts as an additional bonus sweepstakes entry, so more posts mean more chances to score extra cash for gear, equipment, or transportation. Just tag your school’s official handle, @TMobile, and use #FN5GL and #Entry to make it count. Get full details at www.fridaynight5Glights.com/5kfridays. 

Finalists will be notified directly from a T-Mobile representative in October.

• $1,000,000 to be used towards a game-changing homefield upgrade
• An unforgettable tailgate party unveiling in 2027

Cities with populations under 150,000 are targeted to ensure that smaller communities, which may have fewer resources and opportunities, can benefit from this contest. This helps to level the playing field and provide support where it can make a significant impact.

The money is issued via check directly to the school's official organization. For the grand prize winner, T-Mobile will work directly with the winning school district to deliver the prize.

5G connectivity brings the entire game-day experience to the next level. Fans enjoy real-time streaming, interactive scoreboards, and instant social sharing. Athletes and coaches gain access to performance data, play analytics, and biometric sensors that boost training and strategy. Cheerleaders and the band can perfectly coordinate routines and amplify their impact through connected tech. Even concession vendors benefit, with faster mobile payments and smoother point-of-sale systems. With 5G, the whole stadium can run smarter, faster, and more connected—creating an unforgettable night for the entire community.

Whoever is submitting the online application must  agree to the contest rules before submitting their application, including the school’s ability to accept all elements of the prize. If pre-authorization is required by a school district's superintendent, that responsibility falls on the school and needs to be completed before submitting the application.

Once you apply, start showing your school spirit right away on your high school’s official Instagram or X (formerly Twitter) by creating standout social content for Friday Night 5G Lights. Rally your classmates, teachers, parents—even the whole town—for inspiration. The more posts your community shares using #FN5GL, #Entry, tagging @TMobile, and your school, the better your school’s chances of winning!

Check out the #FN5GL Playbook for tips and resources on how to rally your community to help you win big. 

Check out all the details on voting on our Official Rules website.  Voting does not start until October.

• Friday Night 5G Lights is the latest way T-Mobile is supporting small communities after announcing its commitment of 5G for All in April 2021. Since then, we’ve delivered on our promise by expanding the nation’s leading 5G network, connecting rural communities with T-Mobile 5G Home Internet, empowering the community through Project 10Million, and investing over $21.5 million in 475 small communities nationwide through Hometown Grants.