By Jason Gay | Wall Street Journal
Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., recently awarded scholarships to a pair of extremely talented high school…cornhole players.
Go ahead, I’ll wait for you to have the standard human reaction to this news.
College scholarships? For cornhole? The game I play with a cold beer on the Fourth of July?
Don’t get me wrong: I had the same initial reaction. But there’s a lot more to this story. Part of it mirrors the rise of cornhole—how the beanbag-toss target game, played in various states at bars and tailgate parties, has exploded into a legit competitive sport, with professional players and coverage on ESPN.
It’s also about proximity, and neighbors. Winthrop is right next door to the American Cornhole League, a major governing body in the sport. College scholarships—and potential stars—are a milestone for the nascent sport, says Trey Ryder, the ACL’s chief strategy officer.
