Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School’s football team will play on ESPN at 1 PM on Sunday, August 25 as they take on Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
The nationally televised game is part of ESPN’s High School Football Kickoff. The program is in its 15th year and includes a six-game slate featuring the top football programs in the country. The elite teams feature 28 players ranked in the ESPN 300 and ESPN Junior 300.
It is the first time a Rabun Gap team will play on national television.
“This is a distinct honor for our football program, Rabun Gap athletics, and our school,” said Head of School Jeff Miles. “We are excited for our student-athletes to represent the best of Rabun Gap on a national stage.”
The Rabun Gap vs. Baylor game will be aired on ESPN and the ESPN app. It is the only Sunday game in the series. The game is at Baylor School’s Heywood Stadium in Chattanooga. Tickets are available on GoFan.co.
Prepping for the big game
Rabun Gap football players returned to campus last month and have been preparing ever since for the monumental start to the season. The Eagles finished 13-1 and were the NCISAA state runner-up, hosting the school’s first championship game on campus. They open the season on the road at Georgia Southern University, winning 41-17 against Benedictine Military Academy of Savannah in the Erk Russell Classic.
“We’re ready to battle Baylor on ESPN. Baylor is an unbelievably coached football team and very talented. It will be a huge task,” said Head Coach Derek White. “This is such a great opportunity for our players and coaches. Our game will be the only live football airing at that time on any channel across high school, college, and professional. We have a special team with talented Division 1 level athletes and all-around great young men. We can’t wait to play in front of a national audience.”
A ‘national powerhouse’
This year’s team includes student-athletes from nine countries and eight U.S. states. There are over a dozen players from local communities including Macon County in North Carolina, Rabun and Habersham counties in Georgia and across Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.
Rabun Gap’s football program began in 2009 under the leadership of Athletic Director Dale Earnhardt. The program has grown into a national powerhouse, graduating Division 1 athletes who have gone on to play for the University of Michigan, Georgia Tech, University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Georgia State, and more. Many of the Class of 2025 and 2026 players have already garnered interest from top collegiate programs across the country.
“We are incredibly proud of our players, coaches, and football alumni for how far we have come in just 15 years of football at Rabun Gap,” said Earnhardt. “ It is a testament to the high-caliber athletic programs on our campus and the legacy of support from our community. Go Eagles!”
