National Football League returns as title sponsor of annual 2023 HBCU Battle of the Brains

43 HBCUs will be represented by more than 300 students at this year's competition

NFL Press Release

Today, the National Football League (NFL) announced that it will once again serve as the title sponsor for the sixth annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Battle of the Brains (HBCU BOTB). The competition, which will take place Wednesday, March 8, through Sunday, March 12, in Austin, Texas, will pit teams of the best and brightest STEM and business students from HBCUs across the country against each other as they compete for more than $100,000 in scholarships. Each team will have 24 hours to develop a solution to a proposed business challenge, with the top seven schools making their pitch live in front of an audience. They will be judged on analysis, a business/technology solution, a presentation, and Q&A, with crowd participation constituting one of the final votes. Students will also participate in company tours, facilitated workshops, and panel discussions to grow their skill sets in engaging ways.

"We remain inspired and empowered by the NFL's continued commitment to supporting HBCU students through its partnership and advocacy via the HBCU Battle of the Brains competition," said Gregory Gibson Jr., founder and executive director of the HBCU Battle of the Brains. "The NFL continues to be a valued partner in championing and amplifying HBCU institutions, and we are grateful for their collaboration."

"The NFL is excited to once again sponsor the HBCU Battle of the Brains competition," said David Jurenka, senior vice president, NFL Media and general manager, Los Angeles. "Year after year, this event has continued to spotlight the gifted and talented young minds that will one day change the world. We are proud to support HBCU BOTB and all that it inspires."

More than 30 NFL executives and staff across its league and media offices will be on hand during the five-day event, providing guidance and support for participants in a variety of roles including featured speakers, team mentors, and competition judges.

Hosted by HBCU Battle of the Brains LLC, the competition is designed to support the mission of HBCUs by promoting talented business and STEM students within the African American community, as well as the technology industry, in an engaging and dynamic way.

For more information, visit hbcubattleofthebrains.com and follow on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram at @hbcubotbrains. #HBCUBotBrains #BattleTested

About HBCU Battle of the Brains

HBCU Battle of the Brains LLC's mission is to address inequities in industries in which Black and brown representation is severely lacking. This is accomplished by creating and delivering compelling programming that not only brings top students and industry leaders together, but allows each entity to showcase its best self through industry-specific skills challenges (HBCU Battle of the Brains Competition, hybrid-hackathon, business cases, etc.), mentoring (HBCU office hours), and professional development (#ReadyToWork, etc.). We excel at showcasing the top business and STEM students that our nation's HBCUs have to offer while introducing this highly regarded talent to amazing companies and career paths.