The school has been selected as one of 40 finalists nationwide in T-Mobile’s 2026 Friday Night 5G Lights competition, a program designed to recognize the importance of high school football and community pride in small towns across America.
The exciting news was shared on the school’s social media pages Thursday morning.
South Pittsburg is among just 10 schools selected to compete in the contest’s East Division, putting the Pirates in the running for additional prizes and the competition’s $1 million grand prize.
The national competition offers more than $8.4 million in total prizes this year, with schools competing through several rounds of community voting.
As one of the 40 division finalists, South Pittsburg High School has already earned $25,000 and a T-Mobile Home Game Celebration. However, the Pirates could walk away with considerably more if the community rallies behind them in the coming weeks.
The next step is a public voting period running from October 8 through October 25. Supporters can vote once per day to help South Pittsburg advance to the next round of competition.
On October 29, T-Mobile will announce four division champions, one each from the East, West, Midwest, and South divisions. Each division champion will receive $250,000, a Gronk Fitness Gym, and a $5,000 student leadership award.
Voting for the four division champions will continue from October 29 through November 8, with the national grand prize winner announced November 12.
The winning school will receive $1 million toward improvements to its home football field, along with a special celebration unveiling the upgrades in 2027.
T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights program is aimed at communities with populations of 150,000 or fewer, recognizing the important role high school football plays in bringing residents together. The program also features NFL stars Patrick Mahomes and Rob Gronkowski, who have partnered with T-Mobile to promote the competition.
For a community like South Pittsburg, where Pirate football has long been a source of local pride and tradition, the contest presents an opportunity to bring national recognition and a significant investment to the school’s athletic facilities.
T-Mobile will be hosting the Pirate’s game against Lookout Valley on Friday at Beene Stadium, with games, giveaways, photo opportunities, and more as they celebrate the school and community. Everyone is invited to join the Pirates in the celebration.
Community support will play a major role in determining how far the Pirates advance. In addition to voting daily, supporters can help spread the word through social media. T-Mobile is also encouraging participating schools to share videos and participate in special spirit challenges to earn bonus votes.
Residents, alumni, students, and Pirate football fans throughout Marion County and the Tennessee Valley are encouraged to support South Pittsburg during the voting period.
To vote for South Pittsburg High School or learn more about the competition, visit T-Mobile’s Friday Night 5G Lights website.