EA Sports Madden Bowl XVIII at the Bud Light Hotel will stream live via the WatchESPN app and through ESPN on Xbox LIVE to over 71 million households nationwide through an affiliated provider. ESPN3 coverage of Madden Bowl XVIII will be hosted by Trey Wingo and Michelle Beadle, with “Blue Carpet” reporter Cassidy Hubbarth. ESPN3 coverage begins at 9:00pm EST. Madden Bowl XVIII is the quintessential players’ tournament that showcases NFL superstars and their gaming skills on the virtual gridiron as they face off on Madden NFL 12. NFL stars attending Madden Bowl XVIII include (subject to change): Drew Brees (QB, New Orleans Saints), Larry Fitzgerald (WR, Arizona Cardinals), Matt Forte (RB, Chicago Bears), Arian Foster (RB, Houston Texans), Antonio Gates (TE, San Diego Chargers), Jimmy Graham (TE, New Orleans Saints), DeSean Jackson (WR, Philadelphia Eagles), Von Miller (LB, Denver Broncos), Tim Tebow (QB, Denver Broncos), DeMarcus Ware (LB, Dallas Cowboys) and Patrick Willis (LB, San Francisco 49ers) among others.
At the conclusion of the tournament, watch the live webcast of music performances by The Roots and Grammy-nominated hip-hop superstar Nas starting at 11:00 pm EST exclusively on the EA SPORTS Madden NFL Facebook Webcast page. For more details and to RSVP for both webcast events, visit the Madden NFL Facebook page.
The Madden Bowl tournament will use a team-play format including two teams of NFL pros, a team of NFL legends, and a team of players eligible for the upcoming 2012 NFL Draft. Competing in Madden NFL 12 on Xbox 360 using the 3-on-3 Online Team Play mode, each team member will control a set of skill players, including QB, RBs, and WRs on offense, and D-line, LBs, and CBs on defense.
Teams and players competing in Madden Bowl XVIII include (subject to change):
- All-Madden Team: Arian Foster (RB, Houston Texans), Maurice Jones-Drew (RB, Jacksonville Jaguars), and Patrick Willis (LB, San Francisco 49ers)
- Madden Legends Team: Barry Sanders (Pro Football Hall of Fame), Deion Sanders (Pro Football Hall of Fame) and Warren Sapp (DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
- Madden “Clutch” Team: Drew Brees (QB, New Orleans Saints), Jimmy Graham (TE, New Orleans Saints), and Tim Tebow (QB, Denver Broncos)
- Rookie Team (2012 NFL Draft Eligible): Justin Blackmon (WR, Oklahoma State University),
Robert Griffin III (QB, Baylor University), LaMichael James (RB, University of Oregon)
