Missouri Valley Conference begins official esports competitions
The Missouri Valley Conference is adding esports to its competitive offerings, according to a Monday release from the league.
The MVC is teaming with the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) to offer competitions in three video games: first-person shooter Overwatch 2, arcade-style soccer and driving game Rocket League and Nintendo fighting game Super Smash Bros.
An eight-week regular season begins now, with championship events scheduled for April on dates and locations yet to be determined.
Which MVC schools have esports?
All of the MVC's 12 schools offer esports, according to the MVC hub at Rally Cry, the official competition platform of the MVC. Among them are Peoria-based Bradley, Belmont, Drake, Evansville, Illinois-Chicago, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Murray State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso.
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What the MVC and NECC are saying
MVC commissioner Jeff Jackson: “We are so excited about this new league-wide initiative. Esports provides a great platform for our schools to create new rivalries, friendships, and opportunities. The Valley is ecstatic to be working with the NECC on this inspiring new venture."
NECC CEO Jacob VanRyn: “We’re extremely excited to be working with the MVC on this effort. It’s been tremendous to work with the leadership at the conference office, as well as with the institutions themselves in the planning and development phases and we’re fired up to officially launch this effort. We’re excited to help support the MVC in this endeavor.”
What is esports?
Esports — or electronic sports — are simply video games played in a competitive environment. According to Harvard International Review, "These games can range from popular, team-oriented multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBAs), to single player first-person shooters, to survival battle royales, to virtual reconstructions of physical sports." The surge in esports began in the late 2000s with the advent of ways to stream video games on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.
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What is the NECC?
The National Esports Collegiate Conference is the body that oversees video game competitions among more than 400 universities in North America. According to the NECC, it "fosters innovative competition experiences, provides quality broadcasting services, and works to support an inclusive community within collegiate esports." Bradley and at least five of the other MVC schools already have been under the NECC umbrella before this announcement. The NECC last fall joined forces with the newly created Big Esports Conference, home to the Big Ten Conference's esports teams.
What is the MVC?
The MVC is based in St. Louis, Missouri, and is the nation’s second-oldest NCAA Division I conference, celebrating its 117th season in 2023-24. This school year, the league will host 15 championships across multiple men's and women's sports.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: esports competition begins in Missouri Valley Conference, NECC
