California Interscholastic Federation to host in-person esports event

High school sports governing body, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), has announced an in-person esports event for its CIF Esports Initiative Championship Finals.

The tournament will take place on April 27th at California State University’s Dominguez Hills Toro Esports Academy.

Hosted and managed by NASEF (Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federations), the event will crown champions in League of Legends, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. In the regular season, CIF piloted student competitions on Madden NFL 24 and NBA2K24. Moreover, NASEF enlisted the help of tournament platform PlayVS to power the event throughout the school year.

NASEF became the official esports provider of CIF in 2022 when the two entities signed a three-year agreement.

According to a release, the tournament experienced a 41% growth compared to last year, with more than 210 high schools and 600 teams taking part in the competition. NASEF and CIF have been looking to offer additional opportunities to students in California, utilising gameplay and competition to enrich the education process for students.

Educational esports initiatives in the US have been increasing significantly over the last few years, with major esports organisations such as Gen.G getting involved. This year alone the organisation has hosted events such as Gaming Leaders of Tomorrow and Campus Takeover, the latter in partnership with the University of Kentucky.

Ron Nocetti, Executive Director of the CIF, commented on the announcement: “The CIF is excited to host our first in-person Esports Initiative Championship at the Toro Esports Lab on the campus of CSU- Dominguez Hills.

“This provides a great opportunity for students throughout the state to come together, compete, and showcase their skills while representing their school communities.”

The CIF Esports Initiative Championship Finals will be streamed on NASEF’s official Twitch channel.