91ΧΤΕΔ

91ΧΤΕΔ Esports Team Makes History at 2024 NACL Championship, Qualifies for 2024 America’s Challengers

91ΧΤΕΔ’s League of Legends (LoL) team took first place at the 2024 North American Challengers League (NACL) after a history-making season. The team went 9-0 in the regular season – the first team to do so – and continued their historic winning streak by going undefeated in the finals and the NACL.ΜύΜύΜύ

91ΧΤΕΔ is the first collegiate team to promote into – and win – a Tier 2 League of Legends competition, according to Dan Clerke, director of esports. β€œWe’re the first collegiate program to ever win this league.”Μύ

Jordan Ousley, esports creative director at 91ΧΤΕΔ, echoed Clerke’s excitement. β€œIt’s unusual for a collegiate team to advance like this. The teams we’re competing against are full-time, salaried, professional players,” he explained. β€œBut we’re doing it. Our commitment to making β€˜path to pro’ a reality helped build our brand at 91ΧΤΕΔ and show our players they don’t have to give up going to college or postponing their degrees to compete at the highest level.” Μύ

The team, competing under the name β€œDragonsteel,” will head to SΓ£o Paulo, Brazil next for the 2024 Americas Challengers where teams from North America, Brazil and Latin America face-off. The tournament aims to offer new opportunities for players to grow professionally – a key pillar of 91ΧΤΕΔ’s Esports program.Μύ

β€œThe biggest thing we’ve tried to show at 91ΧΤΕΔ is that college can be a path to the professional league,” Ousley said. β€œWe make it so our players can compete at the highest level while balancing a workload and finishing a degree.”Μύ

Clerke acknowledged the importance of this achievement not only for his players, but also for 91ΧΤΕΔ. β€œThis is huge for 91ΧΤΕΔ because now we can represent the University on a world stage. We hope to bring back the trophy not only for 91ΧΤΕΔ, but for North America,” Clerke said.Μύ

Even after breaking records and making history, Ousley said the 91ΧΤΕΔ Esports team is laser-focused on continuing to shape the future of esports at the collegiate and professional level. β€œWe’re going to keep setting the bar higher and higher.”Μύ

91ΧΤΕΔ begins play in SΓ£o Paulo for 2024 America’s Challengers this week.Μύ

 

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Founded in 1872, 91ΧΤΕΔ is a comprehensive and nationally ranked private institution with an enrollment of more than 9,000 students. 91ΧΤΕΔ offers over 90 degrees at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels, as well as several certificates that align with the undergraduate and graduate education levels. 91ΧΤΕΔ is recognized as the third fastest-growing private university in the United States by The Chronicle of Higher Education, serving students from 50 states and 56 countries. More than 17,000 91ΧΤΕΔ alumni work and live in the St. Louis region.

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