Anticipation is rising in the collegiate and high school eSports worlds as the Midwest Campus Clash and Gaming Expo approaches April 7. In addition to the highly anticipated collegiate League of Legends tournament, all-star teams from area high schools will enter the fray at the event thanks to a partnership with Ukatsu and Columbia Public Schools.
A team made up of players from Hickman and Battle high schools (Team North) will face off with players from Rock Bridge and Jefferson City high schools (Team South) in a League of Legends exhibition match set for 3 p.m.
Following the match, Columbia College President Scott Dalrymple and Columbia Public Schools Superintendent Peter Stiepleman will face off in an epic battle, playing the DC Comics game Injustice 2. The winner will have bragging rights for the next year, while the losing party will be donating $1,000 out of his pocket to either a Columbia College scholarship or to Columbia Public Schools. The competition will be fierce, but not without a bit of hilarity and good sportsmanship.
The Clash, which is free and open to the public, will bring some of the top collegiate eSports teams in the Midwest together to compete for a $25,000 prize pool playing the world-renowned game League of Legends. Below is a schedule of the day’s events (times are subject to change):
Friday, April 6 (*these matches are not open to the public)
Round 1 – 5 p.m. – Maryville University vs. Kansas State University
Round 2 – 7 p.m. – Robert Morris University vs. Miami (Ohio) University
Saturday, April 7
Round 3 – 10:15 a.m. – University of Kansas vs. University of Missouri: The Border Battle
Semifinals
Round 4 – 11:45 a.m. – Winner of Round 1 vs. Winner of Round 2
Round 5 – 1:15 p.m. – Winner of Round 3 vs. Columbia College
3 p.m. – Columbia and Jefferson City Public Schools Team North vs. Team South All-Star Match
4 p.m. – President Dalrymple vs. Superintendent Stiepleman: Injustice 2 is served!
Championship
Round 6 – 4:30 p.m. – Winner of Round 4 vs. Winner of Round 5
In addition to the live tournament viewing space, the Expo area will include a range of gaming experiences for all ages, where guests can check out the latest offerings from NovaStar Gaming, Monster Energy Drink, Alienware, Arcades4Home, US Cellular, Slackers and more. Mediacom will serve as the featured sponsor for the event, with several other vendors and sponsors participating, including Asus, Cisco, Children’s Miracle Network, the Columbia College Girls Who Game Camp and the Columbia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
New to this year’s event will be a tournament featuring the wildly popular game Rocket League, the sports-action hit with a community of more than 42 million players, developed and published by San Diego-based game studio, Psyonix. Click here to register your team of three participants (online registration required prior to the event). It’s a high-powered hybrid of arcade soccer and driving, with rewarding physics-based gameplay. Visit www.midwestcampusclash.com for complete details on the event and for sponsorship opportunities, or contact Columbia College Director of eSports Bryan Curtis at blcurtis@ccis.edu.
