The West Virginia University Rocket League team continues to make history by becoming the first team in WVU Esports history to qualify for a world championship event.
The Mountaineers will compete in the 2023 Collegiate Rocket League World Championship slated for June 2-4 in Dallas, Texas.
WVU earned its way into the tournament through league play in the CRL Eastern Conference and after a regular season record of 12-3 this semester and 9-6 in the fall.
“It was super exciting for us to qualify for worlds,” said Jarret Birch, WVU team captain who plays under the name Angel. “This isn’t just a big event for CRL, it’s the biggest you can get at the college level.”
The CRL World Championship will host 10 teams from the United States and six from Europe at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center as part of DreamHack Dallas 2023.
WVU will join Columbia College, Northwood University's Blue and White teams, Akron, Fisher College, UNLV and Boise State. Two more American teams will be added to the tournament field in a Last Chance Qualifier tournament.
Technical University of Berlin, Germany, will join the colleges that qualify during University Rocketeers, the European version of the 2023 Collegiate Rocket League.
“This has been our goal since August and it's great to see our hard work pay off,” WVU senior Dylan Rotz said. “It’s insane to think about how huge this tournament will be, to be able to compete with the best collegiate players around the world will be an unforgettable experience.”
The Mountaineers finished second nationally in the CCA Summer Series in 2022 and won the 2022 HUE Invitational.
For updates, follow the program on Twitter at @WVUEsports and watch live events from the varsity esports teams at twitch.tv/wvuesports1.