Updates

The NFL announced its second annual Madden NFL 22 x HBCU Tournament with EA to celebrate the impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with a competitive tournament and career development opportunities both on and off the field. The goal is to inspire students at all 48 HBCUs in the SWAC, MEAC, SIAC and CIAA conferences to get involved and represent their schools with competition and networking.

Registration officially opened on November 15 and runs through December 3. The tournament has limited slots for an online single elimination qualifier on December 5 with the top 16 finalists advancing to compete in the NFL Madden x HBCU showcase during Super Bowl Week in Los Angeles.

Players can register to compete in the tournament at http://hbcutournament.nfl.com/.

The 16 finalists will also participate in an experienceship by spending time with the EA staff to engage with various departments, tour the NFL's new West Coast headquarters and shadow NFL leaders for a day to provide development and networking experiences to the students.

The top two finalists will play for cash prizes at the NFL's West Coast headquarters located next to SoFi Stadium in Hollywood Park, home of Super Bowl LVI. Their matchup will be available to watch on both the NFL YouTube and Twitch channels on February 12.

"We are so thrilled to bring back this tournament for HBCU students and offer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to come to Los Angeles during Super Bowl LVI Week," said Natara Holloway, vice president, football strategy at the NFL. "We want to expand the league's efforts to create inclusive opportunities for the next generation of talent with partners like EA providing not only a chance for students to compete, but also the chance to learn the business of football through practical learning and shadowing experiences."

The NFL will partner with Gaming Community Network (GCN, Inc.), who will manage all operations, including registration, online tournament execution, player communications, competitive integrity and a professional broadcast during the week of Super Bowl LVI.

"We are so honored to be working with the NFL on this incredibly important initiative to capture the passion of gaming among HBCU students," said Chris Kindt, CMO for GCN. "We are confident our team with deep roots in esports and gaming will deliver an exciting tournament capped off by the exhilaration of competing during Super Bowl LVI."