How Cornhole Went From Tailgates to ESPN
The backyard game didn’t need to reinvent itself to become a professional sport. It just needed people to discover how hard it is to master.
Athletes World
• Cornhole has gone from a casual backyard and tailgate game to a professional sport, complete with ESPN broadcasts, major tournaments and prize money.
A game you can play beside a barbecue now has professional jerseys, ESPN broadcasts and college scholarships. At the 2024 American Cornhole League World Championships, organizers offered more than $700,000 in guaranteed payouts across 30 events. (American Cornhole League, 2024)
The game itself remains almost comically simple. Players stand 27 feet from the opposite board and toss bags toward a six-inch hole. A bag on the board scores one point; through the hole scores three.
The difficult part is doing it over and over again.
The game itself remains almost comically simple. Players stand 27 feet from the opposite board and toss bags toward a six-inch hole. A bag on the board scores one point; through the hole scores three.
The difficult part is doing it over and over again.
