On Tuesday, Sept. 15, EA Sports opened the Madden NFL Championship series (MCS) Pro League season at Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress.
This is the third consecutive year the university has hosted MCS on its campus.
MCS is a new, elite eight-player competitive league introduced for the MCS 27 season. Eight top-tier competitors participate in a single round-robin regular season. Players earn $1,000 per regular season win. The top four players in the standings will make the playoffs and secure a direct qualification spot into the season-ending Madden Bowl.
This season, students from the Dan Patrick School of Sportscasting will join EA’s on-air talent for the live main broadcast for the first time.
Additionally, students within Full Sail’s entertainment and media degree programs participate in live event production, broadcast operations, and content creation.
Monica Dinsmore is the Head of Esports at EA. She said the partnership between EA and Full Sail provides students with hands-on educational opportunities.
“Together, we’re helping foster the next generation of talent while continuing to create unforgettable moments through our competition,” Dinsmore said.
John P. Saboor, Executive Director and Head of Partnerships at Full Sail, described hosting the MCS on the university’s campus as a “defining moment” for the Full Sail University community.
“We look forward to what this moment in time represents for our students and graduates to again work alongside one of the world’s successful brands to bring this celebration to life,” Saboor said.
The Madden NFL Championship Series is just as big an opportunity for competitors as it is for the students.
Henry Leverette is one of eight players competing in the MCS Pro League this season. The 23-year-old Chicago-native holds the record for the most live event wins all-time with eight.
Leverette said competing at the professional level means everything.
“I’m more than appreciative forever for this opportunity,” Leverette said. “It literally changed my life.”
In 2023, Leverette became the first player to win five MCS belts, setting a competitive Madden record at the time.
For Leverette, knowledge of the game is the biggest separator between competitive and casual Madden players.
“A casual player can make the right reads, but they are not going to beat anyone competitive,” Leverette said. “We just know things that they don’t. This is a knowledge game.”
The MCS Pro League season will continue play throughout the rest of the year, concluding with the Madden Bowl Championship in February 2027, hosted by Full Sail.
