BATON ROUGE — Southern University esports athletes won over $3,000 at The Penny Games on Sunday after securing several top positions during initial bracket play. 

Hosted by the Penny Foundation, the tournament features 41 HBCU students competing for a share of a $7,600 prize pool, with the tournament designed to prepare young leaders for the evolving digital economy through competitive play, critical thinking and exposure to employers and academic institutions.

During the tournament, Southern students secured six of the top eight spots for College Football 27 along with a top-five position for Super Smash Bros.

On Sunday, Southern's athletes took home a combined $3,550 from the College Football 27 bracket's $3,800 prize pool with students finishing in first, second, third, fourth, sixth and eighth place. 

"The execution we saw today is the direct result of the grind these guys put in behind the scenes," said Assistant Esports Coach Ahman Green. "We preach discipline, accountability, and strategic prep. To see them translate that into a national sweep is incredibly rewarding, but we know this is just the beginning for this squad."