UA Little Rock Esports League’s 2023 Season Includes Competing in NIRSA and NACE Tournaments
The University of Little Rock’s esports (electronic sports) league competed in the NIRSA National rocket league tournament Feb. 16-18.
Tournament participants included Adam Perry, senior computer science major, Conner Capps, junior computer science major, and Trevor Dady, junior mechanical engineering major.
The NIRSA Championship Series allows its participants to compete, coordinate, and connect with peers through professional development, skill development, engagement, and learning opportunities.
UA Little Rock’s esports league focuses on competing against other groups in Rocket League, a game based on teamwork and outsmarting opponents. The game is an electronic version of soccer, with players working to get the ball down the field to the opponent team’s net.
Each of these participants have been involved in competitive Rocket League since high school. Perry, team captain and esports coordinator, was a founding player of the Bryant High School team, and Capps and Dady were founding players of the White Hall High School team. Dady served as captain and president of the esports organization until he graduated. When they learned about esports at UA Little Rock, they were all eager to get involved.
“Rocket League is a lot of fun and is really simple to get into,” Capps said. “Now that we’re established, I hope people will come out to the game nights and compete in the intramural esports events.”
The league also participates in the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) tournament each week. They have been victorious in four of the seven games they’ve competed in this season, their latest victory being Mar. 13 against Michigan State University.
In addition to the esports league, UA Little Rock also has an esports club that welcomes new members who are interested in gaming. The team plans to continue competing next semester, and they encourage interested students to come out to their game nights and participate in intramural and club esports events.
For more information, contact Perry at atperry@ualr.edu, Nathan Griffin, esports interim coach, at ngriffin1@ualr.edu, or Grant Watts, coordinator of intramural sports, at gewatts1@ualr.edu.
