Each year, high school and college quarterbacks from across the country flock to South Louisiana to learn from the First Family of Football, and Raising Cane’s owner and founder Todd Graves is helping to keep that family’s mission going strong for years to come.

This week the 30th Manning Passing Academy, hosted by the legendary Archie Manning and his sons Peyton, Eli and Cooper, took place in Thibodaux, LA at Nicholls State University. On Friday night, Graves made a $25,000 donation to the MPA, further investing in their cause to develop and mentor young athletes. This is the fifth-consecutive year that Graves and Raising Cane’s have served as the MPA’s presenting sponsor with donations totaling $125,000.

Graves also had the opportunity to spend time with several of the top QBs in college football, including Texas’ Arch Manning, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin, USC’s Jayden Maiava and Washington’s Demond Williams.

Arizona’s Noah Fifita wins free Raising Cane’s for a year

What better reward for putting on a great performance than winning free chicken tenders for year? That’s exactly what Arizona QB Noah Fifita is walking away with after winning the Raising Cane’s Quarterback Long Shot Challenge during the MPA’s Friday Night Lights skills showcase.

After leading the way in the arm strength and accuracy competition, the senior signal-caller from Huntington Beach, CA won FREE Cane’s For a Year and exclusive Cane’s merchandise. It should come as no surprise that Fifita was victorious. He’s coming off the best season of his career after passing for 3,228 yards and 29 TDs in 2025 to earn First Team All-Big 12 honors. With 9,183 career passing yards, he’s just 828 yards away from becoming the Wildcat’s all-time passing leader, and his 73 career TD passes is already a program record.

Fifita will now be fueled by Raising Cane’s on his quest to become the most prolific QB in Arizona history. And fortunately for him, there are five Raising Cane’s locations in the Tucson area to serve him!

Raising Cane’s and Manning Passing Academy share important milestone

2026 marks 30 years for the Manning Passing Academy. The Manning family began the venture in 1996 as a way to help tutor young football players. That same year, Todd Graves opened the first Raising Cane’s restaurant in Baton Rouge, LA. Since that time, the MPA has hosted over 30,000 athletes, developing them both on and off the field, and Raising Cane’s has seen its franchise grown to over 1,000 restaurants worldwide. It’s been a strong 30 years for both, and their partnership will allow countless more young athletes to receive the best mentorship possible.