EA Sports and ESPN announced today that this years Madden Bowl will air live on ESPN3.com, which should mean those with cable providers who offer ESPN3 should be able to view the event via their Xbox 360! Madden Bowl XVII, hosted by EA SPORTS and NFL PLAYERS, is the quintessential players’ tournament that showcases NFL superstars and their gaming skills on the virtual gridiron as they face off on Madden NFL 11. Kicking off Super Bowl week, the event will take place on Thursday, February 3rd at the Glass Cactus in Grapevine, Texas and will air live at 9:00 pm EST on ESPN3.com. The broadcast will include celebrity red carpet interviews, live action of the Madden Bowl tournament and a Madden NFL franchise retrospective. Madden Bowl XVII will also feature performances by 2010 GRAMMY® nominees, Big Boi and Cee Lo Green.
This year, Madden Bowl will feature an all-new format with players from three NFL teams, and an All-Madden squad made up of past Madden Bowl participants, competing in Madden NFL 11 on PlayStation®3 using the all-new Online Team Play mode. Teams and players competing in Madden Bowl XVII include:
- New Orleans Saints: Represented by Madden NFL 11 cover athlete Drew Brees, running back Reggie Bush and quarterback Chase Daniel
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Led by reigning Madden Bowl champion Maurice Jones-Drew, linebacker Kirk Morrison and tight end Marcedes Lewis
- Dallas Cowboys: The hometown team will consist of wide receiver Miles Austin, tight end Jason Witten and linebacker DeMarcus Ware
- All-Madden Team: Consisting of last year’s runner-up, 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis, and former Madden Bowl champions, Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, and Ravens running back Willis McGahee
Using Online Team Play mode, teams will compete 3-on-3 and 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.
