Madden Challenge kicks off Sept. 1

Madden 2007 drops August 22 for a slew of systems, and those who want to prove they're the best in the world will have to get on top of it quicker than a loose ball in the Super Bowl. Electronic Arts today announced that the fifth annual Madden Challenge tournament will begin September 1.

For the first time, the Madden Challenge is going international, as the winners of 26 US regional tournaments will join the champs from five regionals in other countries to compete for a grand-prize package including a check for $100,000 on February 8 at the Pro Bowl in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The tournament will be sponsored by Microsoft and Best Buy, and competition will be held on the Xbox and Xbox 360 versions of the game in two separate divisions. The professional division (limited to a field of 512 entrants in each region) will use the Xbox version, while the Xbox 360 division (up to 64 players in each region) will use the next-gen edition of the game.

According to EA, last year's Madden Challenge drew 16,000 participants. For more information on the tournament, visit the official Web site.