The Big 12 Conference has launched an online Madden NFL 20 esports tournament on Xbox One. All students enrolled at any of the Big 12’s member colleges can register for the tournament.
Matches will take place on esports tournament software Mainline. Each Big 12 school will host its own online single-elimination qualifier July 13-16. One gamer from each of the 10 qualifying tournaments will advance to play in the online Big 12 championship tournament July 18-19. Qualifying finals matches and all games from the championship tournament will stream on ESPN+.
“This is a great opportunity to engage in an emerging space on a conference-wide level,” Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in a press release. “This opportunity is a unique way to provide original content from within a competitive environment during these challenging times.”
Students have until July 10 to register for the esports tournament by providing their university email address. Learfield IMG College, which manages multimedia rights for the Big 12, is helping produce remote broadcasts for the tournament.
Learfield also plans to sell sponsorship opportunities for all 10 schools competing in the esports tournament so brands can be marketed within Mainline’s platform during the tournament. The Big 12 is offering a $1,000 prize pool to students competing in its championship tournament.
