As we approach a full month into our spring semester here at NIU, I wanted to take a moment to recognize some of the incredible work being done by students in our NIU Esports program. Across our varsity program, our players and coaches are challenging themselves to meet an ever-increasing standard for competition while maintaining their focus on their education. Last fall, our Rocket League team reached our program's first in-person conference championships and traveled to Akron, OH. (Shoutout to Eli Curry for accompanying the team as well as his assistance with many of the accolades in this post!) Meanwhile, Valorant continued to find its footing in a very tough Esports Collegiate Conference. This semester, our Overwatch and League of Legends teams are off to strong starts to their respective ESC seasons and both look poised to position themselves to match Rocket League's in-person appearance. Perhaps most impressive, however, is not only the in-game display, but the conten...