• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, August 24, 2011

With the August 30 release of Madden NFL 12 just days away, GameStop says it is sponsoring midnight kickoff promotions at more than 2,100 stores.

Events are scheduled to begin as early as 10:00 pm on Sunday, and the Grapevine, Tex.-based retailer is inviting fans to wear team colors and come to stores to play pre-game warm-up challenges that include first-to-play Madden NFL 12 kiosks, ultimate fan contests, and instore tournaments.

To encourage people to pre-order, it says it will offer a bonus gift of the 2011 All-Star teams from the NFC and AFC. And gamers who participate in the chain's rewards programs will also get a Madden Ultimate Team Aaron Rodgers card, which captures his MVP performance from Super Bowl XLV