Recapping the 2023-24 Esports Season
The Bellevue University esports teams wrapped up their official competition this past weekend with postseason action in both Apex Legends and Overwatch 2.
BELLEVUE, Neb. -- The Bellevue University esports teams wrapped up their official competition this past weekend with postseason action in both Apex Legends and Overwatch 2.
During the 2023-24 school year, BU esports competed in six titles with all four team games reaching their respective postseasons. The Bellevue esports program combined to post an overall record of 79-33.
Apex Legends:
Bellevue's Apex Legends program returned to the offerings for the first time since the 2019-20 season. The Bruins dabbled in competition in the fall, gearing up for play in the Octane Collegiate Leagues.
During the Octane Winter League, Bellevue placed 19th in the semifinal round to earn a 29th place finish out of 30 teams advancing to the postseason. The Bruins improved upon their performance in the spring, reaching the Grand Finals for the first time and earning at 10th place finish nationally.
In the Octane Collegiate League, teams accumulate points over the course of the three seasons. Despite not competing in the fall, Bellevue amassed enough points during the winter and spring to qualify for the Octane Collegiate Championship. The Bruins placed seventh in the semifinal round this past Saturday to earn a spot in Sunday's Grand Finals where the placed 13th among the 30 teams invited.
Brawlhalla:
The Brawlhalla title was a late addition to the esports program, but one that saw BU buy in on immediately.
Bellevue began the year by hosting the first-ever Brawlhalla Collegiate Homecoming competition in late August and two more events later in the fall.
That experience precipitated BU hosting the first-ever official collegiate Brawlhalla tournament, a singles event in which Bellevue entered a pair of competitors. Logan Caldwell and Joseph Porter each posted impressive 7-2 records during pool play but narrowly missed out on qualifying for the playoffs.
League of Legends:
One year after League of Legends made its much-anticipated return, Bellevue entered a pair of competitions.
Bellevue went a combined 10-6 while competing in both the NACE Starleague and NECC League. A 4-2 record in qualifiers in the spring, saw the Bruins earn a spot in the Midwest League Playoffs before falling in the quarterfinal round.
Overwatch 2:
The Overwatch 2 title, which has emerged as Bellevue's most competitive offering in recent years, was the Bruins' most active program during the year. BU competed in five competitions and posted a combined 41-16 record.
The season began with Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming with Bellevue going 8-3 and reaching the playoffs. Competition continued with the University of Kentucky Fall Invitational in which BU posted a 5-5 mark against elite competition and missed the playoff round for the only time all year.
Play kicked back up in the Spring with Bellevue going 7-1 in the NACE league and reaching the quarterfinals.
Bellevue won their first-ever collegiate competition, taking home the title in the UKY Bluegrass Showdown IV. The team – comprised of Stone Nettles, Nick McCormick, Avery Hogue, Veronica Haggerty, Mark Kvashin, and Noah Haensel – went 10-3 in the competition and battled their way out of the loser's bracket to avenge an earlier loss to Northeastern and win the trophy in Lexington, Ky.
The season concluded with the Overwatch Collegiate Championship where Bellevue went 11-4 in competition. BU qualified for Pool play with a 4-2 regular season record and finished third in their eight-team group, securing a top 20 finish nationally.
Super Smash Bros.:
Another title making its Bellevue debut, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, saw Bellevue partake in a pair of singles events.
Action began in the fall with an exhibition entry into the Mid-America Gamers Expo (MAGE) for Josiah Ellwein. He placed 25th out of 47 competitors in the event.
Ellwein followed up with a competitive entry into the NECC singles tournament. He earned a 25th place finish there with a 7-4 record.
Valorant:
The Bellevue Valorant team was the final title making its Bruin debut. The team competed in the NECC Spring League and went 7-3 to qualify for the Midwest Playoffs. There, the Bruins finished runner-up, just missing out on the national playoffs.