Marietta football going international to open 2026 season
Marietta will open its 2026 football season in London.
The Blue Devils will face the NFL Academy — based in Loughborough, England — on Aug. 21, 2026. Marietta made the announcement after the Georgia High School Association approved the move Tuesday.
Marietta coach Cameron Duke has made the trip to play The NFL Academy before. His Edgewater (Florida) team played the academy to open the 2024 season, Duke’s last year with the program.
“Memories that every single player will never forget,” Duke said. “Getting a chance to experience a new culture, getting a chance to experience players that are playing and learning American football that are from all over the world.”
Duke said the NFL Academy also plans to play at Marietta next season, essentially an international home-and-home series.
The NFL Academy is a football development program backed by the NFL in partnership with Loughborough College and Loughborough University. The academy, led by former Calhoun and University of Georgia receiver Kris Durham, develops international prep football players with hopes of furthering their careers in American college football.
It’s a unique opportunity for Marietta football, but Duke is just as excited to watch his players enjoy a new country.
Duke plans for the team to arrive Saturday, Aug. 15. The Blue Devils will stay, study and practice at Loughborough University every morning and enjoy different travel adventures for the rest of the day.
“Sunday would be a day that we would hopefully make a full-day trip into London, exploring all the historical sites and aspects that London has to offer,” Duke said. “Really an education opportunity for our guys to visit one of the major world cities.
“Each day, we would try to have a different activity planned for our guys to go and visit different historical sites.”
Duke mentioned a visit to Nottingham and participation in a community service project among his weekday plans.
Marietta would also spend some time with the NFL Academy team throughout the week, an experience Duke said he believes would amaze his team.
“Our guys get a chance to get to know their team,” Duke said. “Young men from all over the world learning American football and trying to get better at American football, which I think is incredible.”
The location of the game has not been determined, as the NFL Academy has no “home stadium.” Duke’s Edgewater team played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2024.
Edgewater won that matchup in a 51-45 shootout.
“We’ll have our work cut out for us against a really talented and well-coached NFL Academy team,” Duke said. “(NFL Academy coach Steve Hagen) spent a lot of time coaching in the NFL, so they’re going to be prepared.”
Marietta still needs to raise the funds to go. The program is accepting donations on its website and is searching for corporate sponsors.
Aside from getting passports for his entire team, Duke said many of the nonfinancial logistics have been handled.
Duke led Marietta to its best season since 2021 in his first year. The Blue Devils finished the regular season at 5-5 with wins over Hillgrove, McEachern and Walton.
They were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in a 45-35 loss at Harrison.
Duke said he hopes he has the program headed in the right direction, and he believes the trip will continue to improve his program and the lives of his players.
“It’ll be the first time a lot of our guys have ever left the state of Georgia, let alone the country,” Duke said. “And when you get a chance to do that at 16, 17 or 18 and see the world from a different perspective, I think that experience will not only last a lifetime but hopefully open the doors for our young men to understand how big this world is and what all this world has to offer.”
About the Author
Jack Leo is a sports writer and reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Jack worked for the AJC throughout his four years studying journalism and sports media at Georgia State University and the University of Georgia. He's now focused on telling stories in the grassroots: bringing comprehensive coverage of high school sports for AJC Varsity.
