NFL to Host 3rd Annual Madden NFL x HBCU Tournament
NEW YORK, NY - The National Football League today announced registration is now open for the third annual EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL x HBCU Tournament designed to reach students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that have a passion for gaming and football. This year's tournament is intended to maintain the tradition of providing students at HBCUs a chance to not only compete but to learn the intricacies of the business of sports through practical learning and job shadowing experiences at the NFL, during Super Bowl LVII week in Glendale, Arizona.
Last year, HBCU student player participation tripled from the previous year and the NFL is focused on even greater participation this year by adding additional online qualifiers and a women's bracket to encourage women gamers to participate. This would be the first-ever women's bracket for an EA or Madden tournament, and it is open for anyone to opt-in to play.
"This season we plan to grow the Madden NFL x HBCU Tournament by appealing to women gamers and football fans alike," said Ed Kiang, VP of Video Gaming at the NFL. "We look forward to the return of this program as students can compete in a game they love for prizes and ultimately be presented with an incredible opportunity to gain knowledge into the business of sports at the NFL's largest event."
Arthur McAfee, SVP of Football Operations at the NFL also stated, "We hope the participating students in the Madden NFL 23 x HBCU Tournament can use this experience to further shape their career perspectives in the sports and gaming industry."
All registered students will receive a chance to compete in one of several online qualifiers offered with the top sixteen finalists advancing to a live finals broadcasted from Glendale, AZ, home of Super Bowl LVII. Additionally, over $70,000 in cash, travel and prizes will be awarded from the NFL and NFL partners including: STARTER (G-III Apparel Group), New Era Cap LLC, FANATICS, SOAR, Igloo Products Corp., Zipchair, Fan Creations, Sporticulture, Rico Industries, Inc., and Zippo.
ONLINE QUALIFIER SCHEDULE
· October 15 – Kickoff Qualifier
· October 20
· October 23 – Women's Bracket
· October 27
· November 5
· November 11
· November 13
THE FINALS WILL BE BROADCAST ON THE NFL YOUTUBE CHANNEL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 2023, 3PM ET.
Also, for the second year in a row, the NFL partnered with GCN (Gaming Community Network), a GameSquare Esports company who will be managing the marketing, qualifiers, registration, the online tournament execution, and the broadcast.
REGISTER TO COMPETE IN THE MADDEN NFL 23 X HBCU TOURNAMENT HERE
