EA Sports Madden NFL Esports and Full Sail University Announce Strategic Collaboration

Madden NFL 25 Championship Series Competitions to Take Place at Full Sail University

WINTER PARK, Fla., Aug. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Madden NFL 25 Championship Series (MCS 25) announced a new home for upcoming competition at Full Sail University, an award-winning educational leader for those pursuing careers in entertainment media and emerging technologies. As part of the collaboration, all MCS 25 regular season events will take place at the university in Winter Park, Florida, just down the road from EA's headquarters in Orlando, Florida. 

The state-of-the-art esports arena, known as the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress, will host the top Madden competitors across a total of six events from September 2024 through January 2025. In support of these world-class esports events, Full Sail graduates will assist in the broadcast production and students within the university's media & entertainment programs will gain hands-on experience shadowing the MCS team. As part of the move, the MCS team will also contribute to a scholarship fund for Full Sail University students.  

"Full Sail University is the perfect home for the upcoming MCS 25 season," said Andrew Echanique, Director of NA Football Esports, Electronic Arts (EA). "Not only does the Fortress provide unique technical capabilities for our production team but also offers invaluable educational opportunities for students to create memorable experiences for our players and fans."

"There is so much to celebrate in this news," stated John P. Saboor, Executive Director, Head of Partnerships at Full Sail University. "We continue to be laser focused on aligning Full Sail and its students with the world's most successful brands, and this partnership with EA Sports Madden NFL Esports will serve as an amazing opportunity to create real-world experience for our students to learn alongside some of the industry's most talented professionals. Full Sail is excited to showcase our world-class esports venue, and our students as next-gen industry talent. We can't wait to highlight this experience as a springboard to the art of what is possible with one of the industry's most iconic publishers."    

MCS 25 competition is set to debut at Full Sail University with the Kickoff Classic on September 4. The top eight Madden NFL 25 players will travel to Winter Park, FL to compete for USD $100,000 in prizing and first grabs at valuable MCS points.

While each event will be broadcast, two of the events will also welcome a live audience with the first being the Kickoff Challenge. Before the action kicks off at the Kickoff Challenge on September 10 and 11, fans will have an opportunity to check out the MCS Pregame Experience. Registered attendees can compete for high scores in minigames at gaming stations, enjoy options from local food trucks, listen to live music, and a chance to earn a free copy of Madden NFL 25. On September 10, Full Sail University and EA Sports Madden NFL Esports will host a press event during the Kickoff Challenge. More information to follow.

The full schedule of MCS 25 regular season competitions and broadcast productions taking place at the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress are listed below.

• Kickoff Classic
  • Broadcast Finals: September 4, 2024
• Kickoff Challenge
  • Broadcast Finals: September 10-11, 2024
    • In-Person Event at Full Sail University. Register to attend here.
• Most Feared Challenge
  • Broadcast Finals: October 23, 2024
• Unstoppable Challenge
  • Broadcast Finals: November 13, 2024
• Zero Chill Challenge
  • Broadcast Finals: December 18, 2024
• MCS 25 Playoffs
  • Round of 14 & Quarter Finals: January 21-22, 2025
    • In-Person Event at Full Sail University (more details to follow).
  • Quarter Finals & Semifinals: January 29, 2025

Viewers can catch all the MCS 25 action on Twitch and YouTube. To stay in the loop on all things MCS 25 including opportunities to attend an event, follow the tournament series on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. For the Official Rules and to register for MCS 25, visit https://maddenchampionship.com/rules.

About Electronic Arts:

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:EA) is a global leader in digital interactive entertainment. The Company develops and delivers games, content and online services for Internet-connected consoles, mobile devices and personal computers.

In fiscal year 2024, EA posted GAAP net revenue of approximately $7.6 billion. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, EA is recognized for a portfolio of critically acclaimed, high-quality brands such as EA SPORTS FC™, Battlefield™, Apex Legends™, The Sims™, EA SPORTS™ Madden NFL, Need for Speed™, Titanfall™, Plants vs. Zombies™ and EA SPORTS F1®. More information about EA is available at www.ea.com/news.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA SPORTS FC, Battlefield, Need for Speed, Apex Legends, The Sims, Titanfall, and Plants vs. Zombies are trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. John Madden, NFL, FIFA and F1 are the property of their respective owners and used with permission.

About Full Sail University: 

Full Sail University is an award-winning educational leader for those pursuing careers in entertainment media and emerging technologies. Founded in 1979, Full Sail has received numerous accolades throughout its 45-year history, including most recently being named a 2024 "Top Game Design School" by The Princeton Review, and recognized as the 2022-2023 "School of the Year" by the Florida Association of Postsecondary Schools and Colleges. Full Sail University is a graduate and undergraduate degree-granting institution offering on-campus and online degree programs in areas related to Art & Design, Business, Film & Television, Games, Media & Communications, Music & Recording, Sports, and Technology. With over 100,000 graduates worldwide, Full Sail alumni have worked on countless award-winning projects with individual recognition including Oscar®, Emmy®, Grammy®, Addy® and The Game Award honors.

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SOURCE Full Sail University