On Thursday, April 11, the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) named Illinois State University as the host site for the first MVC Esports Championships.
Redbird Esports will welcome seven teams to campus on April 20, 2024, including: Bradley University, Illinois State University, Indiana State University, Missouri State University, Southern Illinois University, the University of Evansville, Valparaiso University, and the University of Northern Iowa (who will be competing remotely). This one-day tournament will start at 9 a.m. and be open to the public to spectate. Teams will be competing in Overwatch 2, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Matches will be streamed on the Redbird Esports Twitch channel.
The regular season concluded April 11. Below are the finals standings for all three titles going into the championship:
| Standings: Overwatch | Team | Record |
| 1 | Illinois State University | 6 – 0 |
| 2 | Valparaiso University | 5 – 1 |
| 3 | Bradley University | 4 – 2 |
| 4 | Missouri State University | 3 – 3 |
| 5 | University of Evansville | 2 – 4 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University | 1 – 5 |
| Standings: Rocket League | Team | Record |
| 1 | Illinois State University | 6 – 0 |
| 2 | Southern Illinois University | 5 -1 |
| 3 | Valparaiso University | 4 – 2 |
| 4 | Missouri State University | 3 – 3 |
| 5 | Bradley University | 2 – 4 |
| 6 | University of Evansville | 1 – 5 |
| 7 | Murray State University | 0 – 6 |
| Standings: Super Smash Bros. | Team | Record |
| 1 | Illinois State University | 6 – 1 |
| 2 | Missouri State University | 5 – 2 |
| 3 | University of Evansville | 4 – 3 |
| 4 | Valparaiso University | 4 – 3 |
| 5 | Southern Illinois University | 1 – 6 |
| 6 | Indiana State University | 1 -6 |
The format for the championships will be single elimination, with consolation brackets to determine third place. The top teams will receive a bye in each title, except for Super Smash Bros. where the top two teams receive a bye.
The Super Smash Bros. component is required to be in-person, as the winning team will receive an automatic qualifier spot int he upcoming CECC Championships that’s scheduled to take place in Arlington, Texas, in early May.
Tune into all the action on Twitch and follow Redbird Esports on social media for updates. More information is available in the MVC announcement.
