By Maggie Borland
The biggest league Boise State’s eSports teams compete during an academic year is the Mountain West Conference (MWC). Why is it the biggest? As one of the first major bridges between the standard definition of sports and the emerging eSports scene, the MWC helps bring in new viewers and supporters every year. Historically, Boise State has sent multiple top tier teams to the LAN (in person game) in Vegas for the finals. However, with the new COVID precautions, we’re unable to send teams this year. Luckily, that won’t stop us from competing.
League of Legends, Overwatch, and Valorant all have their own separate brackets within the conference this year. League of Legends just wrapped up and Boise State pulled out a nice second place. While second place is quite the achievement for any University, Boise State has been receiving second for the past 3 years. Rocket League managed to get first place the first year it was founded, but we’ve been chasing their legacy ever since.
Overwatch has settled for second place two years in a row so far. Who are their biggest rivals? Well, UNLV are the reigning champions since year one. New powerhouse teams such as Fresno have also joined the mix as a force to be reckoned with. However, Boise State’s roster is looking better than ever. It might be the first year we bring a first place title home.
So, how’s Valorant looking?
Boise State won their first game against Air Force last Saturday, but unfortunately had a heart crushing loss against San Diego State University. There are lots of great challengers in this bracket, such as Fresno State, Hawai’i, and Wyoming. If anyone was worried about the Valorant content coming to a close once NECC finishes this week, we’re here to assure you there will be games to watch through the end of May. Even though they’re down one, our team plans on going all the way to the finals for redemption.
So make sure to submit your projects, and ace your finals. It’s time to get settled in and watch Boise State finally take home a championship from the Mountain West Conference.