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A game that anyone can buy on Amazon has the support it needs to eventually become an Olympic sport.
Stacey Moore, the commissioner of the American Cornhole League (ACL), who just renewed her deal with ESPN for three more years, has had many celebrities participate in tournaments across the country, and “they all respond extremely favorably to the game.”
That’s why Moore believes it would be an instant success at the Olympics and “better than curling.”
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Stacey Moore, the commissioner of the American Cornhole League, aims to make cornhole an Olympic sport. (American Cornhole League)
“Go out and try to beat one of our pros, you’ll find out pretty quickly how tough it is. Once you get beaten 21-0 in five rounds, you’ll be humiliated,” Moore told PK Press Club Digital of the skeptics.
“We hear that a lot, but that’s one of the great things about our sport, how accessible it is and how we like to say that anyone can play, anyone can win, because if you’re willing to dedicate yourself to it, if you’re willing to put in the time, you can become competitive. Whether you can become a top professional is a different thing. There’s still a big gap between being a really good competitive cornhole player and being one of our top 100 pros.”
The ACL has been on ESPN since 2016, and Moore had the idea to take the backyard game to the next level after simply seeing good competition.
The ACL has been broadcast on partners ESPN since 2016 and extended its deal for an additional three years. (American Cornhole League)
“I was just playing tailgates, watching people play a lot more seriously than me. And I was wondering, ‘What is it about this particular tailgate game that gets people so excited?’ I realized there was a lot more skill and strategy than I initially thought, and I enjoyed watching top players play at a high level,” Moore said.
“And I said, if I can potentially do a broadcast and put a little bit of technology behind it, do some scoring and stats so we can show that there’s a defined skill level that you have to reach to play it to be the best of the best. And obviously getting the deal with ESPN was the last kind of game changer when we got to ESPN.”
Moore launched the World Cornhole Organization as the sport’s international federation, and USA Cornhole to make it a professional sport and eventually own teams.
Los Angeles in 2028 may seem a little unrealistic, but at the very least cornhole’s evolution into a sport is off to a good start. But to reach another level, all Moore asks is just a chance.
Moore said celebrities worshiped their time during their league appearances. (American Cornhole League)
“It’s just about getting an opportunity,” he said. “We have really good television ratings, so if we make it an Olympic sport, I think it would work extremely well.”
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