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A game that anyone can buy on Amazon has support to eventually become an Olympic sport.
Stacey Moore, commissioner of the American Cornhole League (ACL), who just renewed her contract with ESPN for three more years, has had numerous celebrities participate in tournaments across the country, and “they all react extremely favorably to playing.”
That’s why Moore believes it would be an instant hit at the Olympics and “better than curling.”
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Stacey Moore, 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 quickly find out how difficult it is… Once you get beat 21-0 in five rounds, you’ll be honored,” Moore told Pak Gazette 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 want to put your mind to it, you want to put the time into practice, you can become competitive. That you can become a top pro 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 came up with the idea of taking the playground game to the next level simply after seeing good competition.
The ACL has been broadcast by ESPN partners since 2016 and extended its contract for another three years. (American Cornhole League)
“I was just playing tailgates, watching people play it much more seriously than I did. And I was thinking, ‘What is it about this particular game that gets people so excited?’ “I realized there was a lot more skill and strategy than I originally 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 some technology behind it, do scores and statistics so we can show that there is a definite skill level that you have to reach to play and be the best of the best. And obviously getting the deal with ESPN was the ultimate kind of game-changer when we got to ESPN.”
Moore founded the World Cornhole Organization as the international federation of the sport, and USA Cornhole to make it a professional sport and eventually have teams of its own.
Los Angeles in 2028 may be a little unrealistic, but at least the evolution of cornhole into a sport is off to a good start. But to reach even another level, all Moore asks for is just one chance.
Moore said celebrities have revered his time in his appearances in the league. (American Cornhole League)
“It’s really just about having a chance,” he said. “We have very good television ratings, so if we do an Olympic sport, I think it would do very well.”
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