St. Thomas Aquinas football to play NFL Academy in London

The six-time defending Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) state champions will be heading overseas for an October game against NFL Academy.

The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders will play a regular-season game in London this season against NFL Academy / Jeff Romance / Special to the USA Today Florida Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The six-time defending state champion St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders football program was rumored to play a game overseas. On Monday, that rumor came true, where they will be playing the NFL Academy, based in the United Kingdom, on Wednesday, October 8, according to Football Hotbed's Brandon Odoi. The game will take place at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England.

NEWS: Head Coach Roger Harriott and the @STA_Football team has been selected by Nike to represent the United States in a game in London against the @NFLAcademy. The team announced via social media today. #hotbedworld pic.twitter.com/FFAox9U2ss

— Football Hotbed (@FootballHotbed) August 12, 2025

The NFL Academy's headquarters are based in London with a second location in Queensland, Australia.

This year will mark the fourth consecutive season a Florida-based high school football program will make the trip across the Atlantic Ocean for a regular-season football game, where IMG Academy made appearances in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Edgewater made the trip across the pond during the 2024 season as well.

Last year, the Eagles came away with a 51-45 back-and-forth victory against NFL Academy. De La Salle (California) and Massillon (Ohio) also made trips to the United Kingdom to face the academy as well. The Americans currently have a 5-2 in International trips, but is undefeated when facing European opponents.

St. Thomas Aquinas Featured On National TV This Season

The six-time defending state champion and 16-time overall state champion St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders will be tested out of the gate when they face the No. 1 team in the country, Mater Dei (California) Monarchs, in their season-opener on Saturday, August 23rd, in the Broward County Showcase. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Raiders Capped Off Their Sixth Straight State Title In 2024

St. Thomas Aquinas capped off the 2024 season where they won their sixth consecutive state title last December, defeating Lakeland, 34-0, in the Class 5A title game at Pitbull Stadium, on the campus of Florida International University (FIU).

The Raiders Are Loaded With Multiple Division-1 Recruits

Coming into the 2025 season, St. Thomas Aquinas has multiple Division I recruits on both sides of the ball, led by five-star junior offensive tackle Mark Matthews, four-star senior defensive back Justice Fitzpatrick (Georgia commit), four-star junior wide receiver Julius Jones, four-star junior safety Zayden Gamble, three-star linebacker Phillip Goodrich (Navy commit), three-star offensive lineman Dylan Steen (Mississippi State commit), and three-star defensive end Daniel Norman (Oklahoma commit).

St. Thomas Aquinas Loads 2025 Schedule With Eyes On A Seventh Consecutive State Championship

In addition to their season opener with Mater Dei, the Raiders will also face American Heritage Plantation (October 24), Columbus (September 5) and Chaminade-Madonna (October 31) to close out the regular season.

---

Download the SBLive App

To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App| Download Android App

Be sure to Bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

Follow High School On SI Florida throughout the 2025 high school football season for Live Updates, the most up to date Schedules & Scores and complete coverage from the preseason through the state championships!

---

feed