Media Release
Bradenton, Fla. (June 16, 2014) – The National 7v7 Football Association (NFA7v7) will kick off the fourth-annual IMG7v7 National Championship at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., June 20-22. The season-ending event will feature the largest field of teams in the event’s history, with more than 30 teams from 13 states, Washington D.C. and Canada taking aim at the Club Division title. The Future STARS division also returns in 2014, with an expanded field of up to 20 teams from four states and Washington D.C.
“We’ve made great progress over the past two years in bringing structure, safety and an overall positive competitive environment to the sport,” remarked Blake Ulrich, Director of Events, NFA7v7. “A lot of that progress is due to the support of more than 40 local and regional events with organizers who believe in what we are trying to do for the sport. We look forward to continuing to expand our network and deliver upon our mission.”
Club and Future STARS teams participation includes:
Club Division: AWP (Fort Wayne, Ind.), B2G 5-Star (Los Angeles, Calif.), BBT Athletics (Los Angeles, Calif.), BOOM Football (Chicago, Ill.), Cam Newton All-Stars (Atlanta, Ga.), Colorado Connect (Denver, Colo.), Core 6 Athletes (Chicago, Ill.), Florida Fire (Miami, Fla.), Go Hard Elite (Louisville, Ky.), Hard Knocks (Miami, Fla.), IDFFL (Toronto, Canada), Midwest Elite (Detroit, Mich.), Mississippi Grind (Biloxi, Miss.), N.C. Elite (Charlotte, N.C.), NOVA Elite (Washington D.C.), Next Level Greats 1 (Pitman, N.J.), Next Level Greats 2 (Pitman, N.J.), Next Level Knoxville (Knoxville, Tenn.), Next Level Night Hawks (Lakeland, Fla.), Polk County Dream Team (Lakeland, Fla.), Pro Impact (Jacksonville, Fla.), PTP Sports (Louisville, Ky.), Rat Pak Football (Orlando, Fla.), Recruit Ready (Winnipeg, Canada), River City Kings (Jacksonville, Fla.), South Florida Express Elite (Miami, Fla.), Southern Xpress All-Stars Elite (Nashville, Tenn.), Southern Xpress All-Stars Gold (Nashville, Tenn.), Team Delaware (Dover, Del.), Team TAP (Winter Springs, Fla.), Team Tampa (Tampa, Fla.), Team Tampa Too (Tampa, Fla.), Treasure Coast Elite (Vero Beach, Fla.), Unsigned Preps (Tampa, Fla), and Unsigned Preps Youth (Tampa, Fla.).
Future STARS: Blue Heat (Jacksonville, Fla.), BOOMERS (Chicago, Ill.), Change Factor (Tampa, Fla.), FSG Elite (Georgia/Florida), Keller Indians (Keller, Texas), Midwest All-Stars (Clarkston, Mich.), NOVA Elite (Washington D.C.), Red Zone Elite (Miami, Fla.), Team Florida (Tampa, Fla.), Team Prospects (Atlanta, Ga.), Texas Spartans (Flower Mound, Texas), Top Gun (Chicago, Ill.) and Triple Bs (Tallahassee, Fla.).
The event begins on June 20 with the National 7v7 Football Association Annual Meeting to engage coaches and event organizers on issues surrounding the game today. Players, coaches and parents will then attend a Q&A with a panel of experts, including staff from the NFA7v7, NCAA, event organizers and coaches , to discuss college recruiting, compliance and the general direction of the 7v7 football industry .
The IMG7v7 National Championship will be featured in an hour-long telecast on Fox College Sports, and will host national recruiting media from across the country, providing a unique opportunity for exposure. Players and coaches will also have access to all the latest in sports performance products from sponsors like Gatorade, Under Armour, and ALINE, as well as products and services from beRecruited.com, CaptainU, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Nesquik, Smoothie King, SPRI, and Trigger Point.
Pool play will get underway on Saturday, June 21 at 9:30 a.m., and double-elimination tournament play starts on Sunday, June 22 at 8:00 a.m. For a full schedule, please visit: http://nfa7v7.com/microsites/IMGnational/2014_Schedule.pdf