There’s a new game in town for the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
The OHSAA on Tuesday announced a partnership with Esports Ohio to support and promote the nonprofit organization’s state tournament this spring.
According to the OHSAA, 250 schools have teams in Esports, which is a form of competition involving video games.
“Participation in Esports is growing very rapidly and Esports Ohio has been a big part of making it an educational and competitive opportunity for students,” OHSAA executive director Doug Ute said in a press release. “The opportunity for these students to be a part of a team and represent their school is very exciting.”
Esports Ohio has a seven-week regular season, from the end of January to the middle of March. Regional tournaments are scheduled for May 6 and 7, with the state tournament May 20 and 21 at the University of Akron.
Trophies will be the same style as what the OHSAA uses for its 28 sanctioned sports, including the organization’s logo.
According to Tim Stried, director of communications for the OHSAA, the organization will advertise for and connect member schools with Esports Ohio. The staff also will assist with awarding the state championship trophies.
Esportsohio.org lists Clash Royale, League of Legends, Fortnite, Overwatch 2, Chess, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, SMITE and Valorant as the games for the 2023 high school competition. Games must have a maximum rating of TEEN, which is for competitors 13 and up.
According to the website, area schools with teams are Canal Winchester, Dublin Jerome, Focus Learning Academy of Northern Columbus, Grove City Christian, Hilliard Darby, Licking Heights, New Albany, Olentangy, Olentangy Academy, Pickerington North and Worthington Christian.
“Esports Ohio and the OHSAA both share a common goal to enrich interscholastic opportunities for students,” Jacob Gebers, president of the Esports Ohio board of directors, said in the release. “At our core, similar to (the) OHSAA, Esports Ohio believes that participation in extracurriculars helps enhance a student’s school experience and teaches lifelong lessons of accountability, hard work and teamwork. With this partnership, we will be able to open more doors for more students to compete free of charge in our growing league.”
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