For people who enjoy playing cornhole—the lawn game that challenges players to toss bean bags at a raised platform with a hole at the far end—there is a new league in Oxford that offers the opportunity to enjoy a sport that is growing in popularity.

Michael McMurrough, one of the organizers of the Oxford Cornhole League, said that they started holding games in Oxford in early 2020, and they were very pleased by the turnout right from the start. They are now holding games twice a week—on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Nottingham Inn and Friday at 6 p.m. at the Fraternal Order of Eagles on South Street in Oxford.

“Anybody can play cornhole,” said McMurrough. “A lot of different people come out to play.”

McMurrough said that he first played the game at the Jersey Shore about 12 years ago. Eventually, about five years ago, he joined the Delaware Cornhole League, where he met many other people who like to play the game. He said that he plays about four times a week and considers himself an intermediate level player.

“We are an authorized part of the American Cornhole League,” McMurrough said. “Our main goal is to grow the sport of cornhole right here in our hometown of Oxford.”

Cornhole matches are played with either two or four players. They use two sets of bags and two boards. Cornhole matches are divided into innings of play, and during each frame every player throws four bags, with teams taking alternating turns. A bag that goes in the hole scores three points for a player, while a bag that lands on the board earns one point. Play continues until a team or player reaches or exceeds the score of 21.

McMurrough partnered with John Inzaina and Bill Meredith to form the Oxford Cornhole League. Their goal was to make it more convenient for local players to enjoy the activity by giving them the opportunity to play closer to home. The owners started working on plans for the league last October, and the first game took place in February. 

The Oxford Cornhole League was attracting more participants each week, and then the coronavirus pandemic hit just as the good weather was arriving. Cornhole is a game that can be enjoyed while wearing a mask and while social distancing, so an increasing number of participants are taking part in the games.

An emphasis is always placed on fun, and people of all different skill levels can compete.

The Oxford Cornhole League utilizes a system where participants are paired up with another player randomly for the first four games of each night. Then, the players are ranked based on the scores of those four games. The top three teams each night are awarded cash prizes.

According to McMurrough, the random pairings are an important element to everyone having fun. He explained, “We find that the novice players really benefit from playing the better players. It makes it more interesting for everybody.”

Meredith explained that, with a little practice, a person can improve his or her game. He said that his own game was “really, really bad” when he first started, and his son found it difficult to hit the board with the bag in the beginning. Now, his son typically ranks among the best players in the league—just one year after he started playing competitively.

Meredith said that what he loves about cornhole is that it is a lot of fun—and can be enjoyed by the entire family. He likes to play with his wife and children.

“It’s common for me to practice four or five times a week,” Meredith said. “We all play cornhole and get to be a part of this great league. Everybody has fun. I enjoy everything about cornhole. It’s a social game, and it’s meant for fun.”

Inzaina said that his introduction to the sport came courtesy of McMurrough. The Lincoln University resident has been playing competitively for four years, and he has enjoyed a great deal of success in the sport. He played in the Delaware Cornhole League. He has placed as high as ninth in a state tournament. He recently traveled to South Carolina to take part in a national tournament.

Cornhole players who want to improve their games will experiment with using different bags, depending on the conditions that they are playing in. One bag might be better for indoors, while another would work best for outdoor games. Some bags play faster than others. Humidity is also a factor. Inzaina estimates that he probably uses 20 different bags and will select the one he wants to use, depending on the factors in play. It’s just like how experienced bowlers will use different bowling balls for different lane conditions.

The Oxford Cornhole League has a nice variety of bags and boards for the competitors to use. For people who just want to have fun for a few hours, they can just show up with no concerns about having their own equipment.

According to Inzaina, people who play cornhole are very friendly, and very welcoming to newcomers who want to learn the game.

“Everybody I’ve met—they are very good people,” he said.

The owners of the Oxford Cornhole League said that they are very pleased with the number of people who are playing in the new league.

McMurrough said that it costs just $20 up front to join the league, and then there is a $10 cost per week for players. Non-league participants can play for just $15 a week.

Inzaina said that the Oxford Cornhole League is currently working on securing an indoor area so that play can continue to play when the weather turns cold.

Meredith explained, “We want to carry this throughout the whole year.”

For more information, visit the Oxford Cornhole League’s Facebook page.