Nike Football is Restarting The Opening, a Showcase for the Nation’s Best High School Players

When the sneaker industry is at its best, brands are using their deep pockets and immense influence to bring a spotlight to youth sports, offering talented young athletes the opportunity to compete against their most skilled peers and suit up in the same brand-new performance gear the pros wear. From the basketball court to the gridiron, Nike is using the NIL structure to refocus its youth programming, including the return of one of high school football’s most storied invitational programs - The Opening.

Founded in 2011, The Opening is to football what EYBL is to basketball, with NFL star alumni like Saquon Barkley, Ja’Marr Chase, Derrick Henry, and Patrick Surtain II. Now, after a seven-year hiatus, The Opening is back for 2026, with seven regional events held throughout the country between mid-January and late-May, all culminating in a showdown at Nike’s Oregon campus, where the nation’s 120 best high school football players will compete in front of college scouts, NIL sponsors, media, and more.

At each regional event, players will show off their combine skills in a 40-yard dash, 20-yard shuttle, and vertical jump. They’ll compete in position-specific drills and head-to-head one-on-one and seven-on-seven matchups. With players invited from across the country, the top high schoolers will have the chance to compete against players they might never have seen otherwise.

In addition to the chance for top prospects to lock down NIL deals and impress college recruiters, the kids picked to participate in The Opening will be given new Nike Football gear to show off in competition.

Zach Harris

Zach Harris is a writer based in Philadelphia. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, Vice, Complex, High Times, and more. He is obsessed with skateboarding and bowling. He is still looking for his first 300. For tips, reviews, and anything in size 10.5 - zach.h@soleretriever.com