Updates

The NFL announced registration is now open for the third annual EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL x HBCU Tournament designed to reach students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who 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 compete, while learning the intricacies of the business of sports through practical learning and job shadowing experiences at the NFL during Super Bowl LVII week in Glendale, AZ.

Last year, HBCU student player participation tripled from the previous year and the NFL is focused on even greater participation this year through additional online qualifiers and a women’s bracket to reflect the growing segment of women gamers. This would be the first women’s bracket for an EA or Madden tournament, and it is open for anyone to opt in to play.

“We look forward to inviting back players to the Madden NFL x HBCU tournament, which has become an incredible platform for students to compete in their favorite video game while learning the business of sports at the NFL’s largest event,” said Ed Kiang, VP of Video Gaming at the NFL. “We are proud to expand participation through the first-ever women’s bracket and are thrilled to see so many new and returning partners joining this exciting program.”

Register to Compete in the Madden NFL 23 X HBCU Tournament 

All registered students will have a chance to compete in one of several online qualifiers offered. The top fourteen finalists will advance to a live final broadcasted from Glendale, AZ. Additionally, over $70,000 in cash, travel and prizes will be awarded from the NFL and NFL partners.

“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,” said Arthur McAfee, SVP of Football Pipeline Development. 

See the online qualifier schedule:

• October 15 – Kickoff Qualifier
• October 20
• October 23 – Women’s Bracket
• October 27
• November 5
• November 11
• November 13

For the second year in a row, the NFL will partner with Gaming Community Network (GCN, Inc.), which will manage all operations, including registration, online tournament execution, player communications, competitive integrity and the broadcast.

The finals will air on the NFL YouTube channel on Saturday, February 11, 2023, at 3 p.m. ET.

For more information about the Madden NFL 23 x HBCU Tournament, visit HBCUTournament.NFL.com.