Chippewa Valley Times

The National Association of Collegiate Esports Varsity Premier playoffs are set to begin, with the University of Wisconsin-Stout's Valorant and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate teams advancing to nationals after securing victories in their conferences.

Coach Aaron Froelich, who has been leading UW-Stout's esports program since 2023, expressed his excitement for the teams' achievements, stating, "Stout’s esports teams continue to compete at the highest level in NACE. Our Valorant team has proven it can compete with the best teams in the nation, and our Smash Ultimate team is young but already seeing success. I am extremely excited to see how they grow over the coming years."

The Valorant team, led by Coach Tobey Riedmann, had an impressive season with a flawless conference record, earning them a spot in the playoffs. Riedmann shared his anticipation for the upcoming matches, saying, "It's been a great season for us so far, and I think a big part of it was a new focus on our team culture. With playoffs ahead of us in all three of our leagues, I'm excited to face them as a team and see how we match up against some of the national powerhouse programs."

On the other hand, the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team, under the guidance of Coach Zach Janot, successfully secured a spot in the NACE playoffs with a solid performance in conference play. Janot expressed the team's determination, stating, "We accomplished our goal of making playoffs this year, but we aren't done yet. Not by a long shot."

Sophomore game design student Ethan Hershberger, captain of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team, highlighted the unique opportunities UW-Stout offers, stating, "Playing on an esports team has enhanced my passion for games and has offered a lot of insight into certain aspects of their creation, which has impacted my study of game design here at Stout."

The UW-Stout esports teams will be competing in the upcoming matches, with the Valorant team facing off against Maryville University and the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team taking on Shawnee State University. Both matches will be broadcast live at www.twitch.tv/StoutEsports.

UW-Stout has been a pioneer in esports in Wisconsin, being the first university in the Universities of Wisconsin system to launch a varsity program. The university's strong foundation in game design and development is evident through its academic programs and the recent introduction of an esports coaching minor.

As the teams gear up for the nationals, the UW-Stout community eagerly anticipates their performances and hopes for success in the upcoming matches.