More than 60 esports team members from nine highs schools gathered at Spoon River College on Friday, March 13, to compete in the annual ICAC Esports Competition, which was created three years ago. The teams vie for the IHSA title in Super Smash Brothers (solos), Super Smash Brothers (crew), Rocket League, Mario Kart, and Madden. Schools attending were Cuba, Delevan, Elmwood, Illini Bluffs, Peoria Heights, Peoria Christian, Valley, and Rova/Williamsfield.
“Each school will be competing for a trophy in each title in a double-elimination format. It was a big hit last year, and we are hoping to provide another great experience for the participating students,” said ICAC and Spoon River College coach Anthony Jurewicz.
Spoon River College launched their esports program in the fall of 2020 when it was first exploding in popularity as a competitive form of gaming. At that time more than 170 institutions were already competing as members of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), a nonprofit organization, and more than 600 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada were on board.
“This is yet another avenue SRC offers for students to learn to compete. Like any other sport, it offers lessons in how to function in a team environment, gain time management skills, and an opportunity to gain valuable leadership experience,” said John Bassett, SRC athletic director. “Esports competitions rival traditional sporting events in size and scale.”
For more information about the esports programs at Spoon River College, For more information about the esports programs at Spoon River College, visit Esports Information