College esports platform Brag House has launched a new Fortnite tournament, Black & Positively Golden Gamers, in partnership with Coca-Cola and McDonald’s USA.
The tournament will see 400 student gamers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) compete for $15,000 (~£13,350) in scholarships, provided by Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The event is part of a commitment by Brag House, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s to provide an esports-dedicated space for HBCU students. The three companies teamed up in 2021, to launch an esports tailgate party at the University of Texas at Dallas.
The tournament will run from October 23rd through to December 17th and will be streamed live via the Brag House app, with the finals held at an in-person event in Atlanta, Georgia. The finals event will also host the trophy and scholarship award ceremony, and includes a private tour of the Coca-Cola headquarters.
It comes at a time of growing activity in the HBCU esports scene. Last month, the HBCU Esports League teamed up with soft drink brand Mountain Dew to launch the MTN DEW Real Change Challenge, in collaboration with esports nonprofit Cxmmunity.
Other entities that have supported HBCU students in esports include Version1, the US National Football League (NFL), Evil Geniuses, and Twitch, amongst others.
Lavell Juan, Co-Founder and CEO of Brag House, commented on the partnership: “It makes me incredibly proud to be in a position to offer HBCU students the opportunity to earn scholarships. As a former college athlete and a CEO of colour, these types of opportunities have been open to a small number of students each year.
“By working with HBCUs and our amazing partners, McDonald’s and Coca-Cola, we’re giving HBCU students who love gaming a chance they never imagined they’d get.”
