EA Sports Kicks Off it's 4th NCAA Football Challenge

Redwood City, CA – September 18, 2008 – Strap on your helmets and start up the marching band as Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) announced today the start of the EA SPORTS™ NCAA® Football Challenge presented by Coca-Cola Zero.  The NCAA Football Challenge kicked off its fourth season on September 1 at University of California, Los Angeles, beginning a 16-city, two-month tour of college towns across the nation culminating in the finals tournament held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, with the winner taking home a grand prize of $10,000.
 
The NCAA Football Challenge is a high-intensity competition that reflects the gridiron battles that occur every Saturday, providing an official tournament for the gamers of all types, from hard-core to casual, to compete for prizes and claim bragging rights for their favorite schools. This is the second year of the EA SPORTS Challenge Series events of its most popular games.  This year’s NCAA Football Challenge features an online component, as EA SPORTS has partnered with Microsoft to run a dedicated online program on Xbox LIVE that will bring the Challenge Series to hundreds of thousands of potential participants.
 
“The EA SPORTS NCAA Football Challenge presented by Coca-Cola Zero brings the competition and excitement college football players feel every week to gamers in college towns across the nation,” said Brian Movalson, EA SPORTS Marketing Director. “EA SPORTS NCAA Football 09 brings college fans closer to the experience of a college football game than ever before, and the NCAA Football Challenge provides the ultimate venue for gamers to defend the pride of their favorite college football teams, show their skills and compete for prizes at the same time!”
 
“We are thrilled to be affiliated with an event such as the NCAA Football Challenge that’s focused around such a relevant passion for our Coca-Cola Zero drinkers,” said Russell Baker, Coca-Cola Zero Brand Manager, Coca-Cola North America.
 
“Since the inception of the NCAA Football video game franchise, EA SPORTS has been a fantastic partner," said David Bertram, Executive Director and GM of NCAA Football. "We are pleased to support the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Challenge presented by Coca-Cola Zero as it represents yet one more way fans can experience the thrills of college football.”
 
The NCAA Football Challenge will touch down at 16 college towns around the nation with the winners from each of the campus tournaments advancing to EA SPORTS own version of the college football championship game - the NCAA Football Challenge finals on January 1, 2009. The finals will be held at the historic Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.  Dates and locations for challenge venues are:
 
Date                          School                                        Location                     
9/1/08                          UCLA                                        Los Angeles, CA
9/5/08                        Arizona State University             Tempe, AZ                  
9/9/08                        University of Arizona                  Tucson, AZ                 
9/12/08                      USC                                            Los Angeles, CA         
9/17/08                      Oklahoma State University         Stillwater, OK  
9/19/08                      University of Texas                     Austin, TX                   
9/24/08                      Texas A&M University                College Station, TX
9/25/08                      Louisiana State University          Baton Rouge, LA         
10/1/08                      University of Kansas                  Lawrence, KS  
10/3/08                      Wisconsin                                  Madison, WI    
10/8/08                      University of Kentucky               Lexington, KY 
10/10/08                     Georgia Tech                            Atlanta, GA                 
10/15/08                     North Carolina State                 Raleigh, NC                 
10/17/08                     University of Tennessee            Knoxville, TN   
10/22/08                     Boston College                          Chestnut Hill, MA         
10/24/08                     University of Connecticut           Storrs, CT                   
 
EA SPORTS will travel around the country to host events where participants can register, enter and play in a tournament. Participants in the NCAA Football Challenge will compete playing the game on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft.  The winner of the NCAA Football Challenge will receive a grand prize of $10,000. For more information on rules, registration and regulations, go to www.easportschallengeseries.com
 
Developed in Orlando, FL by EA Tiburon, NCAA Football 09 is available now on the Xbox 360® and Xbox® videogame and entertainment systems from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 and PlayStation®2 computer entertainment systems, Nintendo DS™, Wii™, PC, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) handheld entertainment system and mobile handsets. For more information check out http://www.easports.com/ncaa09.

All information contained in this news post comes directly from a press release sent out by EA Sports