AUSTIN (KXAN) — Professional cornhole is coming to Austin.
The best players in the world at the popular backyard bag-tossing game will compete June 25-27 at the Austin Convention Center. The American Cornhole League is sanctioning the tournament, and the event is part of the league’s ACL Pro Shootout Series where players are competing for a season-long share of $250,000.
The event at the convention center is the league’s fourth of the series. It’s expected to bring 1,000 players to Austin and features not only the pro shootout but also an ACL Southwest Open event featuring singles and doubles play. Professional players are allowed to play in the Open tournament.
Since establishing a pro division, the American Cornhole League has exploded in popularity with nationally-televised events on ESPN during the COVID-19 pandemic. The league signed a three-year contract to show its events on the platform, and while the league was originally scheduled to air 18 times on the network last year, 49 events made it on TV.
The league also just signed a contract with CBS to air its events on both CBS and the CBS Sports Network, making it the first time in the league’s history it will be on broadcast TV. The ACL was one of the few leagues that held live events early during the pandemic, and ACL Commissioner Stacey Moore said after a brief adjustment period to implement social distancing policies, the sport flourished.
“We went seven weeks in a row on ESPN with four-hour blocks,” Moore said. “That’s by far the most we’ve ever been on ESPN.”
The pro shootout will air on CBS Sports Network. All players and spectators are required to wear masks while in the convention center, per ACL COVID-19 rules. Players and spectators will also have their temperature checked before going into the convention center.
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