The Massillon Washington football program will add to its legendary status when it plays NFL Academy from London, England in a huge season opener at Nike World Headquarters in Oregon. The Tigers, who are tied for second on high school football’s all-time wins list, with 948 victories, will square-off with the United Kingdom-based initiative created by the National Football League on August 22.
Opened in 2019, the NFL Academy is defined by the NFL as “a major global initiative offering talented student-athletes the opportunity to combine full-time education alongside intensive training in American football under the guidance of a world-class coaching staff.”
In addition to its London school, NFL Academy also has a school in Australia.
The game is part of the third annual Nike Football Kickoff Classic, an event sponsored by Nike and the NFL. The game will be played at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time at Ronaldo Field on the Nike campus.
“The Nike Football Kickoff Classic brings fresh excitement to the start of the high school football season. For the third consecutive year, Nike has given us something to look forward to as the season begins,” said Roman Oben, Vice President of NFL Football Development. “This year, we’re adding an international twist with the NFL Academy facing off against Massillon. The experience these teams will share will be unforgettable. Congratulations to all the high school football players this year.”
Massillon Washington enters 2024 as the reigning Division II Ohio state champs. The Tigers finished No. 9 in the High School Football America 300 national rankings, powered by NFL Play Football.
For NFL Academy, the game is the fourth contest against an American high school opponent in 2024. The school will open against Florida’s Edgewater in mid-August in London. It will then will play California’s De La Salle High School in October in London. In November, the team will play national power IMG Academy (Florida) in Germany.
