It was a lighthearted story that seemed as consequential as a lawn game. Last week Winthrop University announced that it was giving two high-school seniors what are probably the first athletic scholarships to play cornhole in college. The novel news made headlines at NPR, The Washington Post, and CBS News.
The students, whose scholarships will reportedly cover about half their tuition, will be enrolling at Winthrop at a time when cornhole, a game that involves tossing bean bags into a hole, often at bars or summer parties, is becoming more high-profile and competitive. Big tournaments are aired on ESPN.