ESPN announced Monday that its third annual 'SportsFigures Challenge'
outreach campaign signed up more than 350 affiliates, up from 200 last year.
Students from high schools in those affiliates' franchise areas will have the
opportunity to win $10,000 scholarships based on their knowledge of math and
physics. One grand-prize winner will be chosen from each of eight
affiliates.
In addition, the high school generating the highest ratio of participating
students will win $2,500 in media equipment, ESPN added.
The two-part competition encompasses a multiple-choice quiz and a 250-word
essay in which students must use math and physics concepts to describe a sport
of their own creation.
The winners will be announced March 25.
'The challenge is a fun and meaningful way to help demonstrate ESPN's
commitment to providing additional value to our affiliates and to their
communities, as well,' ESPN vice president of affiliate marketing E.J. Conlin
said in a prepared statement.
A year ago -- when 4,500 students from 2,000 high schools participated --
ESPN's affiliate promotion presented each of nine students with $10,000
scholarships and each of their schools with $1,000 worth of media equipment.
The scholarship promotion is an extension of ESPN's weekly Cable in the
Classroom series, ESPN SportsFigures, in which athletes use sports to
teach math and physics concepts to high-schoolers.
