Peter Becker/Tri-County Independent
Audio By Carbonatix
Whether you call it cornhole, bags, bean bags or baggo, if you’ve ever been to a tailgate, you’ve probably played the game. In recent years, the popularity of cornhole has exploded and even landed the game a spot on ESPN, which immediately grants a sport legitimacy.
But it’s hard for anyone to imagine being a professional cornhole player. After all, how much could you really make playing a lawn game? Well, it turns out the answer is much, much more than you likely imagined.
David Rumsey of Front Office Sports reports that “professional cornhole players in the sport’s biggest league collectively made roughly $7.7 million in prize money” in 2024.
Now, it’s not all glamorous. Rumsey spoke with a Jeremiah Ellis, one of the sport’s top players and a full-time UPS driver. Ellis made just over $60,000 last year playing cornhole, but it took a toll.
“It’s brutal,” he told Rumsey about the balance between work and cornhole. “I just feel completely exhausted most times. But the mind’s more powerful than the body.”
However, life is changing for players in the American Cornhole League, which was founded in 2015 by a gentleman named Stacey Moore.
“My ultimate goal is for all of our players on the pro tour to be able to do it full-time,” Moore said.
At the moment, just 20 percent of players on tour are fullt-ime. But Moore says that he thinks that within three to five years, every player on tour will be full-time.
Those who are currently full-time include Cheyenne Bubenheim, league’s top-earning female player. She raked in $54,650 last year and cornhole has been a full-time job for her each of the last three years. Although she and Rumsey point out a key factor. Prize money is not the only source of income. Bubenheim has several sponsors and other players bring in a significant amount of money via social media.
If you’re not a full-time cornhole player, and you’re not putting in the time and effort, people will pass you,” Bubenheim said.
She noted that young, up-and-coming players are committing more time to the game and becoming better and better. It sounds like it won’t be long before