NFL to open NFL Academy on Australia's Gold Coast

The National Football League (NFL) has revealed plans to establish an NFL Academy in Australia by September 2024. This move is aimed at servicing the Asia-Pacific region, reflecting the league’s ongoing commitment to global football development and creating pathways for international talent.

The NFL Academy is a significant worldwide initiative led by the NFL. It provides talented student athletes the chance to merge intensive American football (tackle) training with full-time education, under the supervision of a top-tier coaching staff.

“We are excited to bring the NFL Academy program to Australia and the Asia-Pacific region – underlining the league’s ambitions and commitment to grow the sport and the fan base in the market in the long term,” said Charlotte Offord, general manager NFL Australia and New Zealand. “The NFL Academy, alongside the ongoing investment and development in NFL Flag, will not only see more boys and girls engage with our sport, but offers more pathways for young athletes to play the game in the region in the years ahead.”

The NFL Academy will establish its base at A.B. Paterson College in south-east Queensland on Australia’s Gold Coast. In collaboration with the college, the academy will concentrate on providing athletic, educational, and career pathway opportunities for student-athletes and the broader community.

The elite football development program in Australia, set to open its doors in September 2024, will be accepting applications from student athletes aged 12-18 years old. The NFL Academy, in collaboration with A.B. Paterson College, will provide top-notch education and resources to the students. The program will focus on enhancing football performance, creating player pathways, and offering future collegiate scholarship opportunities.

The NFL and A.B. Paterson College, with backing from the City of Gold Coast and the Queensland State Government, will co-fund and construct an advanced NFL Academy facility on the existing college grounds. This facility, expected to be completed by 2026, will also be open for community use.

The league is set to open its second NFL Academy globally, following the successful establishment of the first one in the U.K, which supports athletes from Europe and Africa. Since its inception, over 40 alumni have managed to secure college football scholarships in the U.S. Over 30 of these students are slated to participate in the 2024 college football season, with 19 of them playing in Division 1 college programs.

The program will also play a key role in expanding flag football throughout the region for men, women, and youth, following the sport’s triumphant debut at the LA28 Olympic Games. The league is collaborating with the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) to invest in both grassroots and professional development of flag football across Australia, New Zealand, and the globe. The non-contact format of the game, which is quick, highly accessible, and inclusive, is leading the remarkable global surge in participation. With over 20 million players in 100 countries, women and girls are behind some of the most rapid growth.

Australian NFL offensive tackle for the Philadelphia Eagles and NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program alum, Jordan Mailata, is set to become an ambassador for the NFL Academy in Australia. The journey Mailata undertook, from being scouted by the NFL in 2017 to playing in Super Bowl LVII, serves as a powerful source of inspiration for young athletes in the region.

“Football has changed my life, and opening an NFL Academy in Australia will no doubt help many more young people change theirs,” said Mailata. “The Asia-Pacific region is rich in sporting talent, and I look forward to seeing the next generation of football players out there craft their own pathway to playing in the NFL in the years to come.”

“A.B. Paterson College is proud to be the new home of the NFL Academy in Australia,” said Joanne Sheehy, A.B. Paterson College principal. “We are excited to announce this landmark partnership and celebrate the start of generational opportunities for our students, staff and the Gold Coast community. A key pillar of the partnership for A.B. Paterson College is the NFL Futures Program which will provide employment, training, and pathway opportunities for school students through the NFL, the Academy and the NFL’s wider partner network. The NFL is not only strongly aligned with the College through a shared commitment to high standards in education, but the NFL are supporting A.B. Paterson College’s unwavering dedication to emphasizing character development to best prepare students for life beyond the College.”

“We are absolutely delighted to partner with the National Football League to create a state-of-the-art NFL Academy facility right here on the Gold Coast,” said Mayor Tom Tate. “This deal represents a major sporting windfall for our city that will deliver capital investment benefits across 10 years. Not only will the city benefit from significant global marketing exposure, but the local community will have access to a new high-performance field and facility that will also allow us to attract more national and international sporting teams to the coast. We know that the Gold Coast is one of the top sporting cities in the world and securing this lucrative deal with a major international sporting body is proof of that. We can’t wait to welcome the NFL to our city.”

“Queensland, and the broader Pacific is home to some of the most naturally gifted athletes in the world. It comes as no surprise that a globally significant brand such as the NFL has identified this region as having the necessary potential for its Asia Pacific headquarters and its next international Academy,” said Justin McGowan, Trade and Investment Queensland CEO. “The NFL’s goals in the region strongly align with the Queensland Pacific Trade Strategy, the first of its kind in any State or Territory, and we look forward to building on our existing relationship with such a renowned international partner to unlock and grow further opportunities throughout the region.”

NFL Academy talent recruitment camps will take place in Australia and New Zealand beginning in June 2024, with successful participants from these trials joining the first academic class of the NFL Academy in Australia. Athletes who cannot attend a camp are also eligible to apply at www.NFLAcademy.com

For more information on the NFL Academy visit here. Follow the NFL Academy on TikTok, X, Instagram and YouTube.