A member of the South Dakota Mines’ varsity Overwatch 2 team plays on a
PC in the Mines’ esports room. This year, Mines is hosting the Collegiate
Champions League Midwest esports Final on April 15-16 in the Goodell Gym.
South Dakota
Mines will play host to the Collegiate Champions League (CCL) Midwest esports
Finals on campus in the Goodell Gym on April 15-16, 2023.
Collegiate esports athletes from South Dakota Mines,
Dakota State University, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State
University, University of South Dakota and Wayne State College will be
competing in League of Legends, Rocket League and Valorant over the course of
the event.
Divo Cerjan, South Dakota Mines’ Hardrocker esports varsity
student coordinator and varsity Rocket League athlete, says, "Hosting the
CCL Midwest finals is something special. The best part about hosting CCL is
seeing all of these schools and players in person that compete in this league.
Even though the setup for the event can be a bit stressful, you get to
meet new people and potentially build new communities.”
Furthermore, Cerjan says, after competing against the
different universities throughout the regular season, it’s exciting to get to
face them in person for the final “stand.”
“On one hand, it's nerve-wracking since it puts
extra pressure on you because you want to beat them, but on the other hand,
it's also a unique and fun experience. Overall, the key part is making this
event the best possible, so everyone enjoys it and leaves with a memorable
experience,” Cerjan says.
Andy Roland, Dakota State University’s esports head coach
and CCL director, says, “I am thrilled to have South Dakota Mines host CCL this
season. With a number of great esports events under their belt, South Dakota
Mines has been a great place for esports ventures over the years. The
university has been a longtime player in the collegiate esports scene and has
shown great attention to developing their athletes and growing their community.
Dakota State University and other great esports programs in South Dakota are
proud to have such strong and health organizations to compete and cooperate
with.”
Semifinals will take place from at 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
on Saturday, April 15, and finals will be held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday,
April 16. Spectators are welcome to attend; the entrance fee is $5. Additionally,
all matches will also be streamed lived on the Hardrocker_Esports twitch
channel.