The National Football League has opened registration for the 4th annual EA Sports Madden NFL 24 x HBCU Tournament. This event is tailored for students currently enrolled in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who share a passion for both gaming and football. The primary objective of this tournament is to continue the tradition of offering HBCU students the opportunity to engage in competitive gaming while also gaining valuable insights into the sports industry through hands-on learning and job shadowing experiences. These experiences will take place at the NFL Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida, scheduled for February 4, 2024.
Students can earn a spot to the HBCU Championship through three routes: Open Qualifiers, Women’s Qualifiers, and HBCU Video Applications. All HBCU undergraduate and graduate students can join. Qualifiers will occur from October to December and students can compete on PC, Xbox Series X|S or PlayStation 5. The top three players from both Open and Women’s Qualifiers will progress to the Orlando HBCU Championship.
HBCU students can alternatively enter by submitting a video application detailing their reasons for wanting to attend the HBCU Championship. Video submissions are currently open and will be received until December 1. The top two applicants will be chosen according to NFL criteria.
The eight standout players chosen from the qualifiers and video submissions will experience the NFL Pro Bowl Games on an entirely different level. Students will engage in live media interviews before, during and after the competition, alongside shadowing NFL executives to gain insights into the sports industry. They will also have the opportunity to explore Camping World Stadium, interact with NFL players, obtain a media pass for field access to the game and compete for cash and prizes throughout the tournament.
Here’s the list of major dates to be aware of:
- Qualifier 1: October 28, 2023 [Top 2 advance Qualifiers Finals]
- Qualifier 2: November 4, 2023 [Top 2 advance Qualifiers Finals]
- Qualifier 3: November 11, 2023 [Top 2 advance Qualifiers Finals]
- Qualifier 4: November 18, 2023 [Top 2 advance Qualifiers Finals]
- Open Qualifiers Finals: December 2, 2023 [Top 3 advance to Pro Bowl]
- Women’s Qualifiers Finals: December 9, 2023 [Top 3 advance to Pro Bowl]
- Video Applications Open: Now through December 1, 2023
“Each year, the Madden Tournament showcases the top gaming talent within the HBCU community, and provides the students access to industry experts and career opportunities,” said Arthur McAfee, SVP of Football Operations – Pipeline Development at the NFL. “We are excited to provide this platform with new avenues for student involvement via the expanded women’s qualifier and HBCU video applications, and look forward to exposing the top talent to a more in-depth look into the business of sports.”
“The Madden NFL x HBCU tournament continues to grow every year by leaps and bounds, driving us to deliver a competitive program for HBCU students and discover new ways to educate them on the business of sports,” said Ed Kiang, VP of Video Gaming at the NFL. “We can’t wait to give the students access to all the behind-the-scenes action at the NFL Pro Bowl Games in Orlando.”
Key moments from the tournament will be showcased on the NFL YouTube channel prior to the NFL Pro Bowl Games and Super Bowl LVIII. For more information about the Madden NFL 24 x HBCU Tournament, visit https://hbcutournament.nfl.com.
