Indiana Esports Network and Ball State Esports are proud to announce a joint effort to bring the Indiana high school esports state championships to a live audience. Over the past season, approximately 100 school districts have competed in 15 different games, including Rocket League, Valorant, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and League of Legends.
The competitions will be run and live-streamed by the Ball State Esports program and its students. The finals will utilize the Esports Center and additional spaces in the Robert Bell portion of the Journalism chain of buildings.
All teams that qualify for the championship will be able to attend a virtual coaching session with Ball State players and coaches where high school participants can learn more advanced and nuanced elements of the game leading up to their championship game.
At the event on the 29th, BSU Esports will also be hosting several workshops for players on competing championship teams AND noncompeting players/teams. The exact details are TBD but will certainly be a feature of the event.
There will be opportunities throughout the day for parents, high school administrators, and coaches to learn more about esports, competing in esports, competing at the collegiate level, and more. Leveraging our knowledge and understanding to help parents better understand this new industry, coaches build strong and well-prepared teams and administrators to help see the value of esports for their students.
Joe Wilhelm, Director at IEN, says: “We’re thankful for the opportunity to partner with Ball State University for the IEN Finals. Our students will not only get the opportunity to compete at one of the premiere esports venues in the state but also receive valuable education and experience from industry professionals. We’re excited to show Indiana the value of scholastic esports!”
Dan Marino, Director of Esports at Ball State University, says: “We are thrilled to have IEN on campus for a day that will not just be centered around competition but the many peripheral areas of esports including streaming, broadcasting, and collegiate program opportunities. We’ve built an all encompassing esports event that welcomes students of all games, skill levels, and interests to attend whether they are competing or not!”
About Indiana Esports NetworkIndiana Esports Network (IEN) is a 100% volunteer-driven, educator-led, free to students organization. IEN is a collective of approximately 100 school districts across the state ranging in size, demographics, and socioeconomic populations all with the same goal: to use esports as a vehicle to engage students who aren’t involved in traditional athletics or afterschool activities, to increase academic performance/motivation, to create an inclusive community of students that fosters social growth, and to provide students with meaningful opportunities to develop 21st Century skills and career competencies in a novel way.
If you’d like to attend the finals in person, please contact . We’re also happy to set up interviews with the organizers or competing students.
