Madden NFL Youth Championships returns with expanded field, new prize
After a successful first year, the Madden NFL Youth Championships (MYC) are expanding.
The Madden tournament series, which launched last year for middle and high school students in the United States, is now open to students in Canada, the NFL and amateur esports platform PlayVS announced Monday. In addition, the winner of the competition will win a trip to Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
The free-to-enter tournament pits the students against each other in Madden NFL 26, competing through two qualifier rounds, the first from Nov. 7-9 and the second from Jan. 9-11.
Sixteen finalists from the qualifiers will advance to the finals, as well as an additional 16 scholastic champions who won their respective state or region via PlayVS’ official league competition, the press release said.
This 32-player, single-elimination bracket will be held on Jan. 20, with games taking place virtually.
“The Madden NFL Youth Championship embodies what PlayVS is all about — giving students a chance to connect, compete and grow through gaming,” said PlayVS CEO Jon Chapman in a statement. “By expanding eligibility to Canada and introducing both open and scholastic paths to the finals, we’re creating more opportunities for young players to engage with football in a fun, inclusive and community-driven way.”
Registration for the qualifiers is open here.
PlayVS, a leading gaming platform throughout North America, is a partner of USA TODAY High School Sports in the creation of the esports Super 25 national rankings. Last year, PlayVS partnered with the NFL for the first MYC.
“We’re thrilled to build on the success of our first Madden NFL Youth Championship, which made esports more accessible to thousands of middle and high schoolers in the U.S.,” said Ed Kiang, vice president of video gaming at the NFL, in a statement. “With expansion abroad, we can bring more fans the opportunity to experience the excitement of the MYC and further drive our mission of engaging with our sport through gaming.”
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