Tag Archives: cornhole

American Cornhole League, Play Anywhere Team For Interactive Experiences

The American Cornhole League today announced a partnership with Play Anywhere Holdings, the global pioneer in driving on-screen interactive experiences, to bring cornhole fans a wide range of live games and engaging content. Beginning this season,ACL fans will be able to interact and play along while watching the live stream of professional cornhole matches. The start of the ACL season begins with “The Kickoff Battle” in Palm Beach, April 4-7.

Under this exclusive agreement for its live streams on ACL Cornhole TV, the league will utilize the Play Anywhere® cutting-edge technology to roll out real-time on-screen interactive experiences.  Fans watching live ACL tournament matches will have opportunities, offered via the Play Anywhere overlay, to play predictive and trivia games, win prizes and buy merchandise.Play Anywhere’s state-of-the-art AI engine will personalize the viewing experience for each of the millions of cornhole fans.  Among its feature-rich capabilities, Play Anywhere enables sponsors to associate their brand with a “magic moment” in the sporting action.

Using the Play Anywhere financial clearinghouse, all the stakeholders in the content distribution value chain will benefit from these new revenue sources gathered fromsponsorships, advertising and e-commerce. Where permitted, gaming advertising and affiliate fees, will also be included for fans interested in betting.  

The ACL professional championships and international tournaments have grown rapidly in the last several years.  The cornhole fan base has exploded digitally, in large measure because of ACL’s state-of-the-art technology platform and streaming of thousands of matches over ACL Cornhole TV.  The combined TV and digital audience for professional cornhole now exceeds 50 million with matches airing on ACLTV, as well as on their partner broadcasters ESPN/ESPN+ and CBS/CBSSN. 

Stacey Moore, Commissioner and Founder of ACLcommented, “Our fans love to engage with our competitions, and this well give them lots of chances to get in on the action and easily buy their favorite merchandise. ACL has always been committed to using state-of-art technology, and we are excited about working with a trailblazing company like Play Anywhere.”

Pete Scott, Chief Strategy Officer of Play Anywhere and former VP of Emerging Media and Innovation at Warner Media-Discovery, stated, “We are honored to partner with one of the premier sports leagues in the world and excited to explore new ways to engage and provide interactive experiences to the ACL sports fan, while utilizing our patented technology to generate new revenue for every participant in the broadcast and streaming value chain. We will leverage our AI software to hyper personalize every ecommerce, gamification and targeted sponsorship so the user is getting their own one-on-one viewing and interactive experience.”

Ringers, Burn Go for ACL Title Today on CBS

The American Cornhole League (ACL) is thrilled to announce that the Pennsylvania Ringers and Arizona Burn, after a season of strong competition with 16 teams across two divisions and four regions, will compete head-to-head to determine the 2023 ACL Pro Teams Championship. The Pennsylvania Ringers came out on top of the American Division out of the North Region, led byCaptain Devon Harbaugh and Co-Captains Connie Altice and Matthew Creekkiller, while the Arizona Burn won the National Division out of the West Region, steered by Captain Doug Zafft and Co-Captains Bill Hadley and Ty Lopez. The 2023 ACL Pro Teams Championship will be broadcast on Saturday, September 23rd from 1:30-2:30pm EST on CBS, allowing viewers to tune in and catch all of the action. 

Since launching in 2016 the ACL has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports. The league’s tagline “Anyone can play, anyone can win” along with its ability to be played anywhere has the league on a fast track for success.  Along with the “SuperHole” series, the ACL hosts a variety of pro and amateur events. The ACL’s strong sponsor support includes year-long partners Johnsonville, Bush’s, and AllCornhole.com, along with individual event sponsors Ultra Cornhole and Reynolds Bags.

“We’re excited for both the Pennsylvania Ringers and the Arizona Burn – after a year of tough competition it boils down to a head-to-head matchup to see who comes out on top for the Championship,” said Stacey Moore, Commissioner and Founder of the American Cornhole League. “We’re also proud to partner with CBS to bring viewers at home all of the action right in their living room.”

The American Cornhole League hosts competition and tournaments across the amateur, collegiate, and pro ranks with thousands of players taking part every year. 

American Cornhole League Officially Licensed Product Now Available at Academy Sports + Outdoors

 The American Cornhole League (ACL), alongside Escalade Sports, is thrilled to announce its launch at Academy Sports and Outdoors, a renowned name in the retail industry. Starting on August 1, 2023, cornhole enthusiasts and players can enjoy the convenience of purchasing officially licensed ACL boards and bags directly from Academy in-store and online, further enhancing the accessibility and popularity of cornhole.

Escalade Sports and the American Cornhole League’s manufacturing partnership improves accessibility of ACL PRO, ACL COMP, and ACL REC cornhole boards and bags. The ACL is excited to collaborate with Escalade Sports to expand the reach of the league’s official products and to bring authentic, tournament-quality cornhole products to the masses. This joint effort reflects the shared dedication to the growth and success of this game and its enthusiastic community of players.

“Our league is about providing a world-class cornhole experience, whether for one of our pros competing or a fan looking for the ultimate backyard setup,” said Stacey Moore, Founder of the American Cornhole League. “That’s why we chose to partner with Escalade Sports – their commitment to manufacturing excellence means consumers can now walk into Academy and bring home officially licensed ACL equipment, without the wait. They too can play cornhole with gear identical to the pros and practice the shots they see on ESPN.“

Since launching in 2016 the ACL has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports. The league’s tagline “Anyone can play, anyone can win” along with its ability to be played anywhere has the league on a fast track for success.  Along with the “SuperHole” series, the ACL hosts a variety of pro and amateur events. The ACL’s strong sponsor support includes year-long partners Johnsonville, Bush’s, and AllCornhole.com, along with individual event sponsor Ultra Cornhole.

To shop ACL product at Academy, visit your local store or shop online at  https://www.academy.com/c/brands/acl-cornhole.

American Cornhole League SuperHole IV To Feature Fitzpatrick, Lockett, Turner and Pederson Live on ESPN

The American Cornhole League (ACL) is thrilled to announce the return of “SuperHole,” presented by Johnsonville – an annual pro-am series of competitive cornhole events that kicks off the Friday before the Big Game and pairs ACL Pros with celebrities to compete LIVE on ESPN in what has become one of TVs “must see events” around Big Game weekend. 

SuperHole IV is a multi-event cornhole series hosted throughout the year where 32 ACL Pros are paired with 32 celebrities to compete for charity – culminating in the finals alongside the ACL World Championships, which take place this August. The first prelim will be held on Friday, February 10 live at 10:30 PM MST / 12:30 AM EST from Scottsdale, Arizona and features a “football vs baseball” theme, with former QB Ryan Fitzpatrick and star WR Tyler Lockett joining current baseball stars Justin Turner and Joc Pederson to square off in everyone’s favorite backyard game under the bright lights.

The ACL will also debut its third annual ACL Pro Shootout Series airing live on ESPN2 immediately following SuperHole IV. The Pro Shootout Series is presented by DIRECTV who joins the ACL family for the first time as the presenting sponsor of the series as well as a supporting sponsor of SuperHole IV’s kickoff broadcast. Representing DIRECTV in Scottsdale will be Tyler Lockett, who will qualify to play for Ronald McDonald House Charities in Rock Hill should he win.

Since launching in 2016 the ACL has become one of the fastest growing sports in the world, attracting broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports. The league’s tagline “Anyone can play, anyone can win” along with its ability to be played anywhere has the league on a fast track for success.  Along with the “SuperHole”series, the ACL hosts a variety of pro and amateur events. The ACL’s strong sponsor support includes year-long partners Johnsonville, Bush’s and AllCornhole.com, along with individual event sponsors Ultra Cornhole and Reynolds Bags.

The first SuperHole began in 2019 as a one time event where Daniel Jones and Sam Darnold in a “battle of New York” match-up. Since then a multi-event series has taken off with a variety of personalities  participating, including two-time SuperHole champion Doug Flutie, Rashad Jennings, Mac Jones, Devonta Smith, Jay Cutler, Shemar Moore, Phil Hellmuth, David Lim, Dawn Staley, Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino, Dale Moss, Chuck Lidell, Vernon Davis, Zach Miller, Dion Dawkins, Kyle Van Noy, Greg Gaines, Terry Kirby, Brett Young, Jeff Mauro and more.

“We’re excited to continue building on the popularity of SuperHole, which has been a huge success in past years with fans – last year’s model of extending the excitement throughout the season was a resounding hit with our audience, both in person and with those tuning in from home,” said Stacey Moore, Commissioner and Founder of the American Cornhole League. “This year will feature all of the action, celebrities, and competition cornhole fans have come to know and love.” 

“I played in a lot of cities in my career, and one thing was consistent across all of them – cornhole being the game of choice for tailgaters,” added former QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. “While I obviously never had a chance to join them before, I’m excited to show off my bag skills!” 

“I know the fans love this game, it’s perfect for tailgating – you can even pick up cornhole bags with my name and jersey number at our team shop,” remarked star WR Tyler Lockett. “I’m planning on going out there and showing the fans that their favorite players can mix it up on the cornhole boards as well as on the gridiron.” 

“Me and my wife Kourtney love to play cornhole, we even had it at our wedding– it’s actually one of our favorite pastimes,” said all-star 3B Justin Turner. “Hopefully I can go out there and make her proud!”

“When I heard Justin was playing I couldn’t resist the opportunity to go out and compete against him,” added star OF Joc Pederson. “Sure, we’re friends but once the bags and boards are out all that goes out the window!” 

SuperHole IV Matchups on Friday, Feb. 10 at 10:30pm MT  include:

ACL Pro Cheyenne Bubenheim (current Women Singles World Champion) and star WR Tyler Lockett vs

ACL Pro Ryan Smith (5 time ACL Title Winner) and former top QB, Ryan Fitzpatrick

ACL Pro Daymon Dennis (5-time Senior singles World Champion) and All-Star 3B Justin Turner vs

ACL Pro Jimmy McGuffin (current Senior Singles World Champion) and baseball star Joc Pederson

The American Cornhole League hosts competition and tournaments across the amateur, collegiate, and pro ranks with thousands of players taking part every year. For additional information on how to participate visit iplaycornhole.com.

Celebrity Competitors Jay Cutler, Brett Young, Jeff Mauro, Jarrett Payton, Zach Miller and Deepti Vempati Try Their Hands At Cornhole

The American Cornhole League (ACL) is excited to announce that former NFL star Quaterback Jay Cutler, country music superstar Brett Young, Food Network Star & Sandwich King Jeff Mauro, former NFL Running Back and current media personality Jarrett Payton, former NFL Tight End and budding country artist Zach Miller and TV personality Deepti Vempati will be competing alongside ACL pro partners in the final SuperHole III prelim hosted in Chicago for a chance to contend in the SuperHole III Championship in August. The final prelim is being hosted at the 2022 ACL Final Chase from July 1st-4th at the Wintrust Sports Complex (5499 W. 65th St., Bedford Park, IL 60638), the last of four National tournaments of the year for ACL Pro Players with over $70,000 in prizes on the line. The Superhole III prelim finals will be airing live on ESPN2 on Friday, July 1st at 10:00pm EDT, with the teams, pro singles, and pro doubles airing on ESPN2 throughout the weekend.

The team pairings are as follows:

  • Jay Cutler – ACL Pro Jay Rubin (currently tied for 27th in points on the season)
  • Brett Young – ACL Pro Cheyenne Renner (currently tied for 27th in points on the season)
  • Zach Miller – ACL Pro Steven Bernacet (currently 32nd in points on the season)
  • Jeff Mauro – ACL Pro Eddie Grinderslev (currently tied for 23rd in points on the season)
  • Deepti Vempati – ACL Pro Kyle Malone (currently tied for 15th in points on the season)
  • Jarrett Payton – ACL Pro Dave Sutton (currently tied for 89th in points on the season)

What started out as an annual ACL Pro/Celebrity event played the Friday before the Big Game – the two previous SuperHole events have featured well known football stars Doug Flutie, Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Rashad Jennings, Mac Jones and Devonta Smith – has evolved into a multi-event cornhole “SuperHole” series consisting of 6 different prelims throughout the year. The series will culminate with the SuperHole III Championship that will be hosted alongside the ACL World Championships this August from the ACL Headquarters in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

The first prelim was held in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay on February 11th, with former NFL Running Back Terry Kirby beating out poker icon Phil Hellmuth, CBS’ S.W.A.T. star David Lim, and Pawn Stars’ favorite Austin “Chumlee” Russell for a chance to compete in the championship. The second was hosted in Atlantic City at the Showboat, where Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino took down former NFL receiver and winner of season 16 of ABC’s “The Bachelorette” Dale Moss, star NFL lineman Dion Dawkins, and fitness influencer Callie Bundy. The third was held in Salt Lake City, where actor and fitness influencer Joseph Baena bested former NFL star turned actor Vernon Davis, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” star Lisa Barlow, and NFL linebacker Kyle Van Noy. The fourth was hosted in CBS’ S.W.A.T. star Shamar Moore’s literal backyard, nicknamed “Airmail City” which he has transformed into a cornhole oasis, where Moore took down UFC legend Chuck Lidell, TV host Michelle Phelps, and NFL pro Greg Gaines to secure his spot in the finals.

The 6 prelims that the ACL is hosting will determine the finalists for the championship, which will feature a total of 8 celebrity / ACL pro doubles teams. The celebrities will also be able to donate a share of $100,000 to their charity of choice based on where they finish at the championship. At last year’s SuperHole II Doug Flutie, alongside his ACL Pro partner Matt Guy, took home the title and is invited to return to compete as the defending champion at the SuperHole III Championship. In addition, ESPN’s Marty Smith and ACL Pro Ryan Smith will receive invitations as defending celebrity team champions at last year’s ACL World Championships.

The American Cornhole League is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports, as well as a television deal with NBC Sports through USA Cornhole. The league has over 150,000 players worldwide and counting. The ACL’s strong sponsor support includes Johnsonville along with Bush’s, Bacardi Spiced, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Discount Tire and AllCornhole.com, amongst others.

“I’m looking forward to seeing who is able to secure the final spot in the Superhole III Championship – we’ve had some great competition so far,” said Stacey Moore, Founder of American Cornhole League. “It’s going to be a tough field come August!”

American Cornhole League Opens 2022 Pro Shootout Series

The American Cornhole League (ACL) is kicking off its 2022 ACL Pro Shootout Series – which airs live on CBS Sports Network at 7pm Saturday night from Bell Bank Park in Mesa Arizona.

The ACL Pro Shootout Series is in its 2nd year of competition that features eight high-intensity singles and doubles qualifying events hosted across the US, with a total prize pool of $250,000. The championship event – which airs live on CBS Network on September 17 – crowns the Shootout Champions.

This will be the second time in the history of the ACL that the league will be profiled on network television with 16 hours of CBS Sports Network coverage and 4 hours of CBS coverage.

The Pro Shootout Series, sponsored by Johnsonville, Bush’s Beans, Bacardi Spiced, AllCornhole, and Mike’s Hard Lemonade is a 12-round single elimination tournament format – fans will be familiar with it as the format is similar to the 2021 Pro Invitational Qualifying Tour. Each of the eight summer events will feature a Pro Men Singles, Pro Women Singles, and Pro Doubles event with the winners qualifying for the Shootout Championship. The top Pro Doubles team at the end will walk away with a $50,000 cash prize and Women’s and Men’s Singles winners will earn $20,000 each.

The American Cornhole League Announces Manufacturing Partnership with ZÜCA

The American Cornhole League (ACL) is pleased to announce that they have partnered with ZÜCA as the official manufacturing supplier of ACL cornhole rolling bags and backpacks. ZÜCA is the clear leader in the category, and their design, quality, and commitment to serving the cornhole community are a perfect fit with the ACL. Moving forward the ACL and ZÜCA are deep in product development to further expand their overall offerings to specifically meet the needs of all cornhole players, from novice to pros and everyone in between.

The American Cornhole League is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with broadcast deals with ESPN and CBS / CBS Sports, as well as a television deal with NBC Sports through USA Cornhole. The league has over 120,000 players worldwide and counting. The ACL’s strong sponsor support includes Johnsonville, DraftKings, Bush’s Beans, Bacardi, and AllCornhole.com, amongst others.

“We’re thrilled to be working with ZÜCA, the clear leader in the category – their design, quality, and commitment to serving the cornhole community are unparalleled and the perfect fit with the ACL,” said Stacey Moore, Founder of American Cornhole League. “As the league’s popularity continues to grow the products that we’re developing with ZÜCA will meet the needs of all players, from amateurs to pros.”

“Cornhole is growing in popularity every day, and we’ve loved working with both players and tournament directors to find exciting ways to support the sport,” says Bruce Kinnee, President and CEO of ZÜCA. “When we first started doing market research on cornhole, we quickly identified the ACL as a leader in the industry. Working with the ACL is an excellent opportunity for us to continue to share our enthusiasm for cornhole. We are proud to be a sponsor of the ACL in 2022 and beyond.”

The American Cornhole League hosts competition and tournaments across the amateur, collegiate, and pro ranks with thousands of players taking part every year. For additional information on how to participate visit iplaycornhole.com.

ESPN To Broadcast Cornhole World Championships This Week

It’s not just a backyard sport anymore; it’s the real deal. 256 professional cornhole players and over 800 amateurs from across the country will gather in Rock Hill, SC though Sunday to attend the American Cornhole League World Championships. 

In attendance will be ESPN personalities Ryan McGee and Marty Smith, plus former Carolina Panthers running backs Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. The four VIP guests will each be paired with an ACL Pro and go head-to-head in a televised cornhole tournament at Friday’s ACL Pro Celebrity event, which will air on ESPN2 at 9:00pm EST for ESPN’s infamous Ocho Day.

Open to the public, the World Championships expect to draw a crowd of approximately 2,500 people to the newly renovated Sports and Events Center in Historic Downtown Rock Hill. Just minutes away from the future Carolina Panthers headquarters, the space is also the newfound headquarters of the American Cornhole League after previously being based in the Queen City. 

The national sports organization relocated in late 2020 after experiencing exponential growth despite the Covid-19 pandemic. This growth was largely due to the profound scarcity of televised sporting events once lockdown commenced. Cornhole thrived due to its low-contact nature and flexibility of the sport, making it ideal content for ESPN coverage.

At the World Championships, the 256 ACL Pros will duke it out to claim highly-coveted titles including Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Pro Singles Champion, Pro Doubles Champion, and more.

Guests can enjoy choice food and beverages, play in blind draw tournaments, purchase merchandise from local vendors, visit the new ACL Headquarters, and sit courtside while watching the ESPN-televised broadcasts.

There is no entry fee to attend, but parking is available for $5.00 per car per day.

Chief Marketing Officer Trey Ryder stated, “We couldn’t be more excited to be hosting the ACL World Championships here in our home of Rock Hill, SC! With over 1000 of the best cornhole players in the world flocking to the region, fans will be spoiled with seven days of competitive play, over 40 hours of livestream coverage, and six hours of ESPN television coverage.”

ESPN will cover the following events during the American Cornhole League World Championships:

August 5 – ACL Pro Singles Bracket Finals at 8:00pm EST on ESPN3

August 6 – ACL Pro Celebrity Event at 9:00pm EST on ESPN2

August 7 – ACL Pro Singles Playoff and Co-Ed Doubles Final at 1:00pm EST on ESPN

August 8 – ACL Pro Doubles Playoff and Women’s Doubles Final at 1:00pm EST on ESPN2

The American Cornhole League and DraftKings Forge Collaboration During 2021 Season

The American Cornhole League (ACL) is excited to announce today that DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) is now the “Official Sports Betting Partner of the American Cornhole League.” As the ACL Johnsonville Cornhole Championships progress, the sports technology and entertainment company will offer a variety of free-to-play pools nationally and the industry’s first regulated sports betting on professional cornhole. Select ACL events will also feature DraftKings [Sportsbook] odds and lines via a live ticker for audiences tuning into the competitions.

“As we’ve learned in the past year, fandom is not limited solely to mainstream sports, and the tremendous growth of the ACL underscores these new engagement possibilities,” said Ezra Kucharz, chief business officer at DraftKings. “The popularity of cornhole has skyrocketed in general, and there is a real draw for fans to see the best in the world compete, so we’re adding yet another dimension to the enjoyment of cornhole through odds and pools.”

The partnership also includes certain marketing rights including the use of ACL trademarks and logos, footage and photography and on-site branding at events (including center court signage for all broadcasts). DraftKings will also receive exclusive access to select ACL content which will be streamed on DraftKings’ owned and operated channels on YouTube, Twitch, and Gamecenter, among others, with plans to offer pre-competition analysis, in-broadcast wagering and more. The deal also provides DraftKings the ability to utilize ACL talent in promotions, custom content and events, which will further highlight top players in the league.

“First and foremost this is another way for our fans to experience and access the game and we’re very much looking forward to how our partnership with DraftKings will help enhance their enjoyment of the sport,” said Stacey Moore, Commissioner and Founder of the American Cornhole League. “Not only do we expect this to help expand our audience through additional exposure on DraftKings channels, but we look at this is as positive in terms of engagement with our broadcast partners and fans as a whole.”

Every year, thousands of players take part in the competitions and tournaments that ACL hosts across the amateur, collegiate, and pro ranks. For the ACL event on March 19th, fans in Colorado, Illinois and New Hampshire will be able to place wagers via DraftKings, while nationally others can enter a free to play pool. DraftKings continues to broaden its sportsbook product suite to capture more niche categories, including other recent additions like Major League Eating and Drone Racing League.

For additional information on how to participate visit iplaycornhole.com. Fans can learn more and check out DraftKings’ American Cornhole League offerings by downloading the DraftKings app via iOS and Android.