Nov. 3, 2021

This paid piece is sponsored by Dakota State University.

Dakota State University’s esports program is hosting the Midwest Invitational on Nov. 20-21. It will feature gameplay in Valorant, League of Legends, Smash Ultimate and fighting game tournaments.

While the fighting tournaments are pay-to-play and open to the public, the Valorant and League of Legends play will be for college teams participating in the Collegiate Champions League. Schools like South Dakota State University, the University of North Dakota and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln will be in attendance for the postseason competition.

In the fall of 2020, Dakota State esports head coach Andy Roland created the CCL to develop consistent competition.

“There isn’t a central governing body for esports,” Roland explained, “and most collegiate platforms run tournaments instead of seasonal play. I wanted to create a season-long schedule just like volleyball or other sports.”

In tournaments, once a team is eliminated, the gameplay is over. The CCL allows for a competitive conference where the teams can build rivalries, compete at similar skill levels and help teams and their coaches build their organizations together.

The league mirrors other athletic sports seasons and inspired and enabled Roland to create the in-person Midwest Invitational.

The Midwest Invitational will feature play among seven universities with the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, University of Iowa and University of South Dakota joining DSU, SDSU, UND and UNL. The colleges will compete in the semifinals Saturday and finals Sunday.

The Smash Ultimate tournament and other fighting games will take place Nov. 20, beginning at 11 a.m.

Roland expects to see nationally ranked players participating in the fighting game tournaments. “There are some really good fighters in the Midwest.”

The public is invited to attend the invitational to watch or participate in the fighting games. There is a $10 venue fee that gets you into the building at the Dakota Prairie Playhouse. Masks are required for the event and to enter the building.

And all fighting game tournaments are pay-to-play. For a schedule of the events, visit the tournament site.

Additionally, the entirety of the Midwest Invitational will be livestreamed on DSU esports’ Twitch channel. An esports caster will break down the play for those watching.

Dakota State’s esports program

In June 2019, Dakota State University hired Roland to lead the brand-new esports athletic program. Roland brought experience from starting and running an esports organization at the college he attended, Texas Christian University.

DSU’s program has grown to include about 110 students who have been playing in a variety of games over the past three years. There are teams competing in the main titles of League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, Overwatch, Smite and Rainbow Six, and several fighting games are grouped together. There is always opportunity to add more games to the list.

Esports is just like other sports played on campus. Students can receive scholarships for playing and must adhere to the standard guidelines for student-athletes. By participating in esports, the students learn about teamwork, resolving conflict, and managing schedules and responsibilities, Roland explained.

In addition to the athletes, there are coordinator positions for games, esports casters for matches, social media positions and other opportunities for students who don’t play video games but would like to be involved. This offers the opportunity to develop additional skills like coordinating schedules, creating graphics for social media and learning broadcasting skills.

Roland said he is excited to see the program continue to grow along with competitive collegiate esports. He is thankful for the support he and the team receive from the university.

“We’re way more than just video game players; we’re an organization developing real-world skills,” he said.