ESPN to televise 9 Top 25 programs during Opening Week of High School Football 2025

Notable programs such as Mater Dei, St. Frances Academy, IMG Academy, and Chaminade-Madonna will be on ESPN during Kickoff Weekend, August 14-23, 2025.

The 2025 ESPN High School Kickoff will feature six games over 10 days. / ESPN

ESPN announced its return for the annual High School Kickoff from August 14 to August 23, 2025, on Wednesday afternoon.

Six games over ten days featuring 45 SC NEXT 300 ranked athletes to start the new football season!

The full ESPN HS Kickoff schedule is set and begins August 14th 🏈

More info: https://t.co/xLuk32pnUb pic.twitter.com/mh6lftIknM

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) July 30, 2025

The opening weekend of the high school football season will feature nine teams in the 2025 High School on SI Preseason Power Football Rankings, including four of them from the state of Florida. There will be six games in total, featuring seven different states.

2025 ESPN High School Football Kickoff Schedule

Thursday, August 14

No. 15 Milton (Georgia) at No. 10 Buford (Georgia)- 7:00 p.m. ET

The reigning back-to-back GHSA Class 7A champion Milton Eagles will kick off the 2025 season against the Buford Wolves in a rematch from the 2024 season opener, where Milton took home the 13-10 victory. The game will mark the debut of the newly-renovated $62 million Phillip Beard Stadium, which has a capacity of 10,000.

Friday, August 22

No. 20 St. Joseph's Prep (Pennsylvania) vs. No. 18 American Heritage Plantation (Florida)- 6:00 p.m. ET

(Game to be played at St. Thomas Aquinas High School)

St. Joseph's Prep comes into the 2025 season having won three consecutive state championships and having won nine state titles in each of the last 12 years. The Hawks will be led once again by junior quarterback Charlie Foulke IV,

American Heritage Plantation comes into the 2025 season having won the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 4A title and is led by Texas commit Dia Bell at the quarterback position, as well as Florida State commit Brandon Bennett, who is the top returning wide receiver.

No. 6 IMG Academy (Florida) at Hoover (Alabama)- 9:00 p.m. ET

IMG Academy comes into this matchup ranked #6 in the High School on SI Top 25 National preseason rankings where they are led by four-star senior defensive end Jake Kreul, and four-star safety Zech Fort (Georgia commit).

The Hoover Buccaneers come into the 2025 season with high expectations after having the 2024 season come to an end in the Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) Class 7A semifinals against Thompson. The Buccaneers are led by three-star senior defensive end Tyson Bacon (Miami commit).

Saturday, August 23

#1 Mater Dei (California) at #13 St. Thomas Aquinas (Florida)- 3:30 p.m. ET

The No. 1 team in the country, Mater Dei, will make the cross-country trip to compete in the Broward County Showcase, where they are coming off their second consecutive state championship and fifth in the last seven years. The Monarchs finished the 2024 season with a perfect 13-0 record and have won 19 consecutive games dating back to October 13, 2013.

The Monarchs are led by five-star senior tight end Mark Bowman (USC commit) and four-star senior wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (Ohio State commit).

St. Thomas Aquinas has won five consecutive state championships, which no school has done in the Modern Era of the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA), and is the heavy favorite to win a sixth consecutive title.

The Raiders are led by four-star defensive back Justice Fitzpatrick (Georgia commit), three-star defensive end Daniel Norman (Oklahoma commit), four-star offensive tackle Mark Matthews, and four-star safety Zayden Gamble.

No. 5 St. Frances Academy (Maryland) vs No. 14 Chaminade-Madonna (Florida)- 8:00 p.m. ET

In the final game of the 4th Annual Broward County Showcase, the No. 5 ranked St. Frances Academy Panthers come to South Florida to take on the four-time defending state champion Chaminade-Madonna Lions.

The Panthers are led by the No. 3 overall player in the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports in five-star defensive end Zion Elee, five-star safety Jireh Edwards (Alabama commit), and four-star defensive back Raylaun Henry.

The four-time defending state champion Chaminade-Madonna Lions return five-star running back Derrek Cooper (Texas commit), three-star wide receiver Jasen Lopez (Florida State commit), and three-star wide receiver Denairius Gray (Kentucky commit).

The Lions won 13 consecutive games to close the 2024 season after dropping the first two games to St. John Bosco (California) and Blanche Ely.

Folsom (California) at Grant Union (California) - 10:30 p.m. ET

This contest features two California powers and one of the nation's most elite quarterbacks, Folsom's Ryder Lyons, a BYU commit. Folsom also has one of the country's elite lineman in USC commit Vlad Dyakonov.

Grant Union, coming off a CIF Open Division 2 state championship. It's top player is tight end Rahzario Edwards, who has a host of Power 4 offers.

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