While many consider cornhole a pastime recreational activity, the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater has taken it a step further, making it not only a club sport but also participating in national tournaments. UW-Whitewater is the only school in Wisconsin that’s affiliated with the American Cornhole League (ACL). In which, club president Dylan Freeman was named to the American Cornhole College League Council.
There, he gets to talk with other colleges, learn more about the league and he is even taking personal advantage by interviewing with a league director about an internship position. One thing he discovered through a discussion with the council is that they plan on doing eight college meets in the fall. Though after only running the cornhole club for one semester, Dylan Freeman said he was shocked, but he’ll also “take it as an opportunity to give more ACL opportunities to the area.” In total, eight people are selected for the college council nationwide and there are around 40 college teams overall.
This semester, they plan on hosting the Warhawk Throwdown. Everyone in the area can participate in the bags tournament, and they’ve gathered the most interest from players in Jefferson and Madison. It’ll cost between $20 and $30 per team, with the teams competing for prizes. Although this is their first semester hosting this sort of event, they plan to keep it going every semester.
The fall is the most active season for cornhole players. In November, they hosted a meet where they played against Adrian College (Michigan). While the Warhawks lost, marketing director Emma Freeman said it was her favorite moment this school year.
“It’s constantly growing and knowing people coming from different colleges and states was honestly pretty cool to see,” Emma Freeman said.
Over winter break Dylan Freeman, Vincent Lopez, Ethan Roe and Jared Lawson went to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for the National College Cornhole Tournament. Their mode of transportation was Dylan Freeman’s parents’ car and they got accommodation approved by the school. There, they played 12 hours over two days, and the four had a great time meeting Adrian College again as well as several other schools, while being broadcasted on ESPN+, Facebook Live and Hulu Live.
“It was really cool having a Wisconsin school coming down for our first semester ever, doing it and placing so well the way we did,” Dylan Freeman said on the impact of their presence.
Next fall, they intend to send two teams of four players to the national tournament and intend to continue to grow their program.
While many other ACL teams meet Monday-Friday with strict practice schedules,
Whitewater only meets twice a week, 7 to 9 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday. The way practices are typically run is they warm up for about 30 minutes, then play each other in singles and doubles tournaments where the winner gets Red Bull. These drinks are provided by Red Bull ambassador Cam Kerber, who has gone around various club organizations and given them out for free. Dylan Freeman says he prefers practices to be more laid back and that “it’s a lot more social and personable atmosphere.”
With the diverse range of skill levels among members in the club, they also hope to integrate skill training for beginners and use different strategies for getting past a bag that’s just below the hole and other general tips.
“It’s a really amazing club,” Emma Freeman said. “Everyone is so nice and supportive. I love looking around and seeing people so focused and still having a good time with something they enjoy doing.”
