Cornhole Prize Money: Yes, It Is a Professional Sport Now

Cornhole prize money is real money, and the current numbers are bigger than most people guess. The American Cornhole League’s 2026 World Championships, held July 27 through August 2 at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in South Carolina, paid out more than $800,000 across over 50 events, according to the ACL’s own event page. That is one week, one venue, one league.

Zoom out and it gets larger. Front Office Sports reported that ACL pros collectively earned roughly $7.7 million in prize money during 2024. Bloomberg reported in June 2023 that prize money in the sport had grown past $8 million across the calendar, and that ACL says its purses have roughly doubled every two years.

So yes: cornhole is a professional sport now, with a television deal, a ranked pro tour, and a payout structure. What it is not is a salaried league. Nobody gets a contract and a guaranteed check. Below is how the cornhole prize money system actually works, who it pays, and the parts that surprise people.

Cornhole Prize Money at the Top: The Numbers Right Now

The single biggest change heading into the 2025/26 season is at the Signature Event level. The ACL doubled those purses to $100,000 per event, up from $50,000, across six Signature Events running January through July 2026. That is the current figure, and it is a recent increase, not a long-standing number.

Individual earnings tell you more than league totals. Front Office Sports reported that Jeremiah Ellis took in $61,458 in 2024, second among all ACL players that year. Cheyenne Bubenheim, the league’s top-earning woman and fifth overall, earned $54,650 and has supported herself on cornhole for three years.

How Cornhole Prize Money Actually Gets Paid Out

There is no draft and no team payroll. A pro enters events, advances through brackets, and collects a share of that event’s posted purse based on finish. Miss the cut and you collect nothing that weekend, minus travel and entry costs. It works more like professional bowling or darts than like the NFL.

That structure explains why cornhole prize money totals look impressive while individual incomes vary so widely. A $100,000 Signature Event purse spreads across a full bracket. The champion’s cut is meaningful, but the money thins quickly as you move down the finishing order.

Sponsorship fills the gap. Front Office Sports noted that sponsors provide players with guaranteed monthly payments, which is the closest thing to a salary in the sport. For most working pros, cornhole prize money is the variable half of the income and the sponsor deal is the stable half.

Who Actually Makes a Living at This

ACL commissioner Stacey Moore estimated to Front Office Sports that roughly 20% of ACL pros can play cornhole full time. That means about four out of five ranked professionals still work another job. It is a useful reality check against headlines that make the sport sound like a jackpot.

The top of the field is thin, too. Matt Guy, widely called the sport’s greatest player, built his reputation on nine ACO World Singles Championships between 2006 and 2020 — a separate sanctioning body from the ACL, which is a detail many casual fans miss. Cornhole has more than one governing organization.

Reported career and season earnings for individual players vary by outlet and are not always audited, so treat player-by-player totals carefully unless the league or a major outlet published them.

How Cornhole Went From Backyard Game to ESPN

The ACL was founded in 2015. ESPN began carrying the sport around 2016, with the Championship of Bags airing in 2017, and Sports Video Group reported a new multi-year ESPN deal announced in January 2020. Forbes covered the league’s arrival on ESPN in December 2019.

The volume is the surprising part. Front Office Sports reported more than 300 hours of ACL action across ESPN platforms in 2024 — mostly on ESPN+, with occasional appearances on ESPN and ESPN2. Television exposure is what pulled sponsors in, and sponsors are what pushed cornhole prize money upward.

The ACL says its active player base exceeds 100,000. Most of those are recreational members, not pros, but that base is the pipeline and the paying audience underneath the professional tier.

The Surprising Part: Cornhole Prize Money Includes Scholarships

The ACL Juniors program pays winnings as scholarship money usable at any college, and the ACL runs a National College Cornhole Championship broadcast on ESPN where teams compete for scholarship dollars. For young players, cornhole prize money can arrive as education funding rather than cash.

It goes further. The Hill and 5280 reported that Colorado teenagers received the first cornhole athletic scholarships, and Winthrop University became the first school to offer scholarships to students playing cornhole. A game most Americans first saw in a tailgate lot now appears on college financial aid paperwork.

Scholarship amounts vary by school and program, so check directly with the institution rather than relying on a general figure.

Taxes and Paperwork on Cornhole Prize Money

The IRS treats prizes and awards as taxable income. That is true whether or not a payer issues a form, and winners are responsible for reporting prize income on their returns.

One threshold changed recently. For prizes awarded after December 31, 2025, the Form 1099-MISC reporting threshold rose from $600 to $2,000, with inflation adjustments beginning in 2027; prizes awarded during 2025 stayed under the old $600 threshold. That change affects when a payer must send a form — not whether the income itself is taxable.

This is a description of how the rules work, not tax advice. Anyone earning cornhole prize money should confirm their own situation with IRS.gov or a qualified tax professional.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much cornhole prize money did the 2026 World Championships pay?

More than $800,000 across over 50 events, according to the ACL’s official event page. The tournament ran July 27 through August 2, 2026, at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

Do professional cornhole players get a salary?

No. ACL pros are not paid a league salary. They earn tournament winnings plus sponsorship money, and Front Office Sports reported that sponsor deals can include guaranteed monthly payments.

What is the biggest single-event purse in cornhole right now?

The ACL’s Signature Events carry $100,000 purses for the 2025/26 season, doubled from $50,000 the prior season, across six events between January and July 2026.

Can you actually make a living playing cornhole?

Some do. ACL commissioner Stacey Moore estimated to Front Office Sports that about 20% of ACL pros play full time. Top earners in 2024 included Jeremiah Ellis at $61,458 and Cheyenne Bubenheim at $54,650.

Know the Rules Where You Live

Sweepstakes and prize rules change from state to state — what a sponsor can offer, how prizes are handled, and what protections you have. Pick your state to see the exact rules that apply where you live.

See Sweepstakes Laws in All 50 States →

Sources & How to Verify

The facts on this page are drawn from official government and primary sources. Rules and figures change, so always confirm the current details with the official agency or the promotion’s own published rules.

• FTC Consumer Advice: consumer.ftc.gov — prize, sweepstakes, and lottery scam guidance
• IRS: irs.gov — how prizes and winnings are treated as income
• Social Security Administration: ssa.gov — what SSI recipients must report
• The promotion’s official rules: every legitimate sweepstakes publishes them — the rules page is always the final word

Content last reviewed August 2026. If you notice outdated information, please contact us.

Related Guides

• Sweepstakes Laws by State (50-State Guide)
• More in This Category
• Sweepstakes Resources
• Scam Checks
• Sweepstakes Tax Calculator
• All Active Sweepstakes

Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Win Big Daily is an independent educational resource. Prize rules, tax treatment, and benefit-program requirements vary by state and program and change over time, so always verify the current details with the official agency, the promotion’s published rules, or a qualified professional before acting. If a topic involves government benefits, contact the program office about your specific situation.