PLEASE NOTE: This event has already occurred.
Please remember that events may be canceled or rescheduled last minute due to unpredictable weather or other factors. We encourage you to reach out to event organizers before heading out to an event to verify it is still happening.
Date/Time
Date(s) - 04/01/2023
10:00 am - 10:00 pm
Location
State Farm Center
Categories
Inaugural Illini Esports Collegiate Invitational to Take Over State Farm Center
Champaign, IL—The Illini Esports Collegiate Invitational will be the first, in-person major Esports tournament hosted at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at the State Farm Center, March 31–April 2. Schools across the country were invited to compete for a large prize pool with nearly 300 competitors expected.
“This is a pivotal moment for Illini Esports to host the first-ever major collegiate Esports event here on campus. The amount of hard work and effort put in by our team to make this event happen cannot be understated! So come out and show your support for all our students!”
Illini Esports, a registered student organization (RSO) on campus, has been working with the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, the University of Illinois Foundation, other campus partners, and sponsors to host an intercollegiate Esports event for Rocket League, League of Legends, and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. Livestreamed and professionally broadcasted, the event will be an opportunity for anyone in the community to learn more about Esports and gaming in the local Illinois area. It will also demonstrate how far Esports and its collegiate versions have grown and continue to do so. According to Insider Intelligence, esports viewers in the US was expected to total 29.8 million in 2022—eventually climbing to 34.8 million in 2026.
During the free to attend event, held 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. each day, spectators can expect interaction with local gaming and esports businesses, a free-play gaming section on high-end computers, industry panels on careers in gaming and esports, invited guests and alumni of the University, and more.
More information can be found on Twitter @Illini_Esports, Instagram @illiniesports, or their website https://esports.illinois.edu.
Sponsors and partners for this event include the University of Illinois Foundation, University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, Visit Champaign County, Atlona – a Panduit Company, Cooler Master, MSI, and Andromeda Solutions, along with additional partners and donors. Additional sponsorships are still available.
Contact esports@illinois.edu for more information.
