Hangout 2024: The Biggest Party in the CFSL
By: Cole Mantell (@lightningdragon)
The Season 20 Championship has come and gone. USC upset Auburn and won their second Championship in style, dashing the hopes of the largest team represented in Tampa. In winning their first Championship since Season 7 live at Hangout, the league got to see a great game after one of the best playoffs in CFSL history. The Trojans also cement their legacy of a rising team into this next era of the league as a whole.
Putting on this show takes a team. The league has held an in-person celebration of the league for six years now. The party was centered at CFSL HQ in New Braunfels, Texas for the first five years. For a whole weekend, simulation football was surrounded by people, partying, and healthy competition. This year, the league decided to have Hangout at a new site for the first time in league history. After careful consideration, the league chose Tampa for Hangout 2024. Tampa made sense for a lot of reasons. Chief among them was ease of access for much of the league based in Florida (and the southern US).
Hangout certainly delivered this year. Among the CFSL playoff games, gaming tournaments, and casino trips, I talked to multiple first-time attendees to get their thoughts on the experience. “[Hangout] is a blast and you will kick yourself if you don’t make it once. 10/10 recommend,” said Justin Duke, whose seven Auburn representatives led the CFSL. Kolten Powell, Texas AHC, added, “It was by far the most emotional and thrilling event I’ve ever been part of!” As a bonus, Powell would win Fan of the Year for Season 20, becoming the first-ever back-to-back winner.
Preparation for the big weekend took dozens, if not hundreds of man-hours. In addition to Mike and Frosty, who run and produce all CFSL events, there were more than a few helpers. This year, the two were joined by Sarah, Kolten, and Allie in helping prepare for the most challenging logistical challenge yet in the history of the league. That doesn’t even account for a global IT crisis and severe weather impacting many trips down to Tampa for much of the league, causing plans to be scrambled and secondary plans to go into action. But by the time the Championship rolled around on Sunday, dozens got to experience the best the CFSL had to offer.
Through community and competition, this league holds a special place for many. We saw some more names enter the Hall of Fame. We had three awesome games, capped off by one of the biggest upsets in CFSL history. Auburn may have to wait at least one more season for the Championship, but they took home many awards in front of the largest participation at the conference. Penn State notably had a great fight in these playoffs and was also well-represented on the weekend. If this weekend taught any lesson, it is that there is a direct correlation between Hangout participation and award nominations.
We don’t know where next year’s Hangout will be. Only that it will once again be on the road, and thanks to the success and trials of this first experience on the road, the league is ready to make next year even bigger and better. There is only one certainty, Hangout is the place to be if you truly want to be among the best the CFSL has to offer. Until next year, congrats to those who won, and good luck to those who didn’t. I can’t wait until we do it all again next year.
