T-Mobile has chosen Keokuk High School as a $5K Friday winner for the second year in a row as part of the first round of the Friday Night 5G Lights competition. T-Mobile will present the $5,000 check before the next home game at about 6:30 p.m. in Calvert Stadium on Sept. 12.
After the $5K Friday win, KHS is now eligible to be chosen by Sept. 25 as one of the 25 top finalists in the contest and potentially earn a $25,000 check with a special magenta home game hosted by T-Mobile later this season. The public can help KHS advance by posting as much as possible on social media, specifically Instagram even if it is a brand new account, about football and more and tag @tmobile and @keokukcsd, plus add the hashtags #FN5GL and #sweepstakes. The two tags with the two hashtags are integral so that the posts are counted by T-Mobile as votes.
“My hope is that this will elevate how our students, athletes, and performers continue to demonstrate their gifts and talents, while offering our community a venue of which to be proud—a place to rally in support of our student athletes and performers,” Zach Summers, KHS Activities Director, said. The contest winnings would go towards phase II of the historic Calvert Stadium renovation, which includes planned upgrades to accessible walkways, renovated seating, a new press box and bathrooms, expanded concessions area and more. “Ensuring our students have the very best here in Keokuk is crucial.”
T-Mobile is hosting the national growing competition with NFL players Patrick Mahomes and Rob Gronkowski for the second year to “light up” and celebrate small town football in communities under 150,000.
In 2024, Keokuk was one of 300 schools out of more than 1,700 that submitted nationally to make it through the first round. This year was even bigger with more submissions and T-Mobile chose 450 $5K Friday winners and the finalists went from a top 16 to a top 25. The application period opened on July 17 and KHS was chosen in week four of eight with the period ending on Sept. 12 and the top 25 finalists will be chosen by a panel of T-Mobile judges based on community impact, need and creativity by Sept. 25. Then the public voting period opens where anyone in the country can vote once per day at FridayNight5GLights.com through Oct. 24, with bonus votes available to the high schools that complete weekly “Social Plays” via the website during this time period as well. On Oct. 30, T-Mobile will name a grand prize winner of $1,000,000, as well as a consultation with a stadium experience expert, a weight room upgrade by Gronk Fitness, an all-expense-paid trip to the SEC Championship Game for select school officials, a tailgate party after the renovations in 2026 and much more according to T-Mobile. The 2025 grand prize winner was Inola High School in Oklahoma.
For more information on the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights contest, go to FridayNight5GLights.com.
