Southern Miss Esports, a collegiate esports program based at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), fields teams in various competitive titles, providing opportunities for students to compete at a high level while also emphasizing health, connections, and learning.

The Southern Miss League of Legends and Valorant teams won their respective conference championships in May, each earning the chance to compete in the NECC National Championships this month. League of Legends competed in the NECC Southeast Emergents Division and Valorant competed in the NECC Southeast Navigators Division. The NECC (National Esports Collegiate Conference) is a premier, highly respected collegiate esports conference offering competitive play to hundreds of higher education institutions across the nation.

Students on both squads are extremely proud of their accomplishments, but realize the job isn’t finished. Myiesha Roberson, a graduating senior majoring in digital journalism and a member of the Valorant team, expressed how much it means to her to have the opportunity to compete at this level. “Before, it seemed like just a dream to go this far in gaming for my school, so to have this opportunity with my team, makes want to win and go as far as we can,” she said.

Lindsey T. Earl IV, a freshman from Mobile, Alabama majoring in computer science major and a member of the League of Legends team, attributes the successful season to the team’s chemistry and positive attitude. “Definitely, the chemistry and general vibe of the team,” Earl said. “We always joke with one another, even when we’re in a losing situation, never letting a loss bring down our morale. We just dust ourselves off and go back in with a clear head.”

Next week, Valorant plays for the national title June 11-13, while League of Legends competes for a championship June 13-15. As both of these teams move on to national championship competitions, their matches can be viewed at the Southern Miss Esports Twitch channel. Fans can also follow Southern Miss Esports updates online as well as Twitter, Discord, and more.