NIU Esports

12/13/2025

Rocket League's stellar fall season culminated with an exciting battle at the Esports Collegiate LAN championships last weekend.

As the season comes to a close, we sat down with Rocket League player Ryan "Sappy" Clark. We asked about some of the positive strides the Rocket League Varsity team has made over the eventful fall season, as well as their biggest takeaways.

12/13/2025

Last weekend, three of our varsity teams participated in a life-changing tournament in Oxford, Ohio.

The Esports Collegiate LAN Conference was held at Miami (Ohio) University and culminated a season's worth of grit, determination and showstopping plays. We are proud to have all three of our fall varsity teams qualify for this prestigious competition. In this short video, we detail our varsity player's experience and what made this an unforgettable weekend.

We congratulate all of our varsity players for the astounding feat!

Check back in the spring semester as our varsity Valorant and League of Legends teams enter the spotlight and have the chance to battle for glory.

We hope you all have a fantastic break!

12/05/2025

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Varsity Team Qualifies for LAN Conference - A Recap

In their inaugural year, the Varsity Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team prepares to compete in the Esports Collegiate LAN conference this weekend. To celebrate, we asked various Smash Ultimate varsity players about the biggest takeaways from their season.

12/05/2025

Overwatch 2 Varsity Team Qualifies for LAN Conference - A Recap

As the Varsity Overwatch team prepares to compete in the Esports Collegiate LAN conference this weekend, we asked various Overwatch varsity players about the biggest takeaways from their season.

12/05/2025

IHSEA: How did you get into competitive gaming?

As the IHSEA state championships came to a close, marketing intern Mikayla Ahern asked contestants how they got into the competitive gaming space and what competing means to them.

12/03/2025

IHSEA 2025 wrapped up with a riveting Marvel Rivals championship that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

On Nov. 23, various high schools from across the state battled head-to-head at the IHSEA Marvel Rivals State Championships. hosted in the NIU Esports Arena, teams fought fiercely for the coveted title in their respective divisions, delivering nonstop action and unforgettable plays. As the competition heated up, we were there to capture the standout moments that made the competition truly special.

Congratulations to all of the 2025 Marvel Rivals champions:

4A Champion🏅 ~ Warren Township High School
3A Champion🏅 ~ Stagg High School
2A Champion🏅 ~ Glenwood High School
1A Champion🏅 ~ Edinburg High School

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11/30/2025

We thank everyone who participated in our annual IHSEA state championships!

On Nov. 22, we hosted the IHSEA Mario Kart 8 state championships in the Esports Arena. Various high schools from across the state competed to become state champions in their respective divisions. As teams battled for glory, we captured the most notable moments from the various tournaments.

Congratulations to all of the 2025 Mario Kart champions:

4A Champion🏅 ~ Elgin High School
3A Champion🏅 ~ Stagg High School
2A Champion🏅 ~ Lakes Community High School
1A Champion🏅 ~ Eureka High School

11/28/2025

While our Ultimate Cozy Gaming Night is in the books, we'll never forget the unforgettable memories we made with our collaborators Huskie Gaming and Gaming for All!

In this blooper compilation, we highlight various behind-the-scenes moments that went into creating our shopping vlog.

We hope you had a fun time at the Ultimate Cozy Gaming Night! Follow our socials for the latest updates on our upcoming events.

11/28/2025

In celebration of Thanksgiving, we asked our varsity players to share what they are most thankful for this season.

From our table to yours, we wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We will see you all after the break.

11/23/2025

The Ultimate Cozy Gaming Night was a smashing success! Thank you to everyone who attended Wednesday's event.

We would also like to thank Huskie Gaming and Gaming for All for helping us to co-host an unforgettable, spectacular night.

We were thrilled to see our largest turnout yet in the Esports Arena. Over 50 people joined us as we ushered in the holiday season with a myriad of cozy games.

While this is our last big event of the fall semester, stay tuned on our socials for more exciting events coming next semester.

If you attended our event and want to leave feedback for both this and future events, be sure to fill our our exit survey on our stories.

Good luck on finals, Huskies!

11/21/2025

Hello, IHSEA families! We can’t wait to welcome your student athletes to NIU for the IHSEA Mario Kart and Marvel Rivals final tournaments.

Have you ever wondered what your child spends so much time practicing on Mario Kart? Check out this video to learn about some of the strategies to watch for during the final matches on November 22!

Here are some handy tips for the newer players out there that'll help you win your races.Don't forget to ► Like ► Comment ► Subscribe for daily gaming videos...

11/19/2025

We can’t wait to welcome Illinois’ top high school esports student athletes to NIU for the IHSEA Mario Kart and Marvel Rivals finals on Nov. 22 and 23! Spectators are welcome. We have limited spectator space in the NIU Esports Arena (Altgeld Hall 100) where the competition will take place. If that space is full, don’t worry! Come upstairs to Altgeld Hall Room 200, where we have space for hundreds of spectators to watch the livestream on the big screen.

Visit our website for details about parking, dining and more. See you soon! https://www.niu.edu/esports/partner/illinois-high-school-esports-association.shtml