Football
2024 Nike Football Kickoff Classic features Massillon Tigers in their opener vs NFL Academy
Video: Massillon vs. Hoban | OHSAA football state championships
Watch video highlights of the Massillon Tigers high school football team playing Hoban in the OHSAA Division II state championship game, Nov. 30, 2023
The Massillon Tigers are headed west for their high school football opener this season — all the way to the West Coast to play a unique opponent at the site of an iconic American brand name.
The Tigers — the reigning Ohio state champs in Division II — are opening the 2024 season in a game at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, on Thursday, Aug. 22. They will play The NFL Academy (United Kingdom) in the third annual Nike Football Kickoff Classic, an event sponsored by Nike and the NFL. The game is at 6:30 p.m. ET, at Ronaldo Field on the Nike campus.
Massillon is a Nike Elite High School program, which helped the open doors to this opportunity. Being Ohio’s winningest high school football program and among the most successful all-time in the U.S. doesn’t hurt, either.
“The Massillon Tigers are humbled and honored to be invited by our great partners at Nike to participate in this historic, international matchup against the NFL Academy from London, England,” Massillon head coach Nate Moore said in a statement. “To be able to play this game at Ronaldo Field at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon is an experience our players will remember for the rest of their lives. Thank you to Nike and the NFL for making this game a possibility.”
Massillon’s players will get to tour the Nike campus during their visit, hear from former Nike/NFL Ambassadors and learn about professional development.
The Tigers are coming off a remarkable 16-0 season in 2023 when they won their first Ohio High School Athletic Association championship, beating Hoban 7-2. Massillon has won 25 state titles overall and nine national titles.
The 2023 Tigers outscored their opponents 618-116 during the season and had 10 players earn All-Ohio honors. They played perhaps the state’s toughest schedule, beating Division I state champion St. Edward for a second straight year and beating several elite teams from outside of Ohio. That included a win over Valdosta (Ga.) in a historic opener last season.
Massillon and Valdosta have long ranked among the nation’s winningest all-time programs, with Valdosta at No. 1 and the Tigers tied for No. 2 entering this season. The Tigers finished 2023 ranked nationally by several organizations, including No. 12 in the nation by USA Today.
The NFL Academy team is based in London and features elite athletes from not only the UK, but also Europe and Africa.
How to watch, stream Massillon Tigers football in the Nike Kickoff Classic
The Nike Kickoff Classic will livestream on the NFL YouTube channel at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 22. NFL Network will air the Classic on Saturday, Aug. 31.
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