Over 50 esports teams, representing 20 colleges and universities, competed this weekend in the four Wisconsin Esports Conference Regional Playoff tournaments hosted at UW-River Falls, UW-Whitewater, UW-Green Bay, and Carthage College to determine which 8 rosters would advance directly to the WEC Championship next month at UW-Stout and which 20 squads would battle in a last chance online qualifier for the remaining 10 spots. Both of UWRF's Rocket League rosters played some of their best games of the Fall season in Sunday's single-elimination bracket, but only UWRF's top roster, UWRF F1, secured a coveted last chance qualifier seed.

The Northwest WEC Regional kicked off Saturday morning at the UW-River Falls Esports Arena in Chalmer Davee Library. Saturday consisted of a round robin group stage that seeded Sunday's single-elimination bracket. In Rocket League, UW-Superior upset Group A favorite UW-Eau Claire to lock in their top seed while UWRF and UW-Stout battled for control of Group B with Stout coming out on top. In the afternoon, Northcentral Technical College dominated the 4-team Valorant round robin to claim the #1 seed for Sunday.



On Sunday, UW-Stout took down Northcentral Tech in a close 2-0 series to earn their first NW Regional Valorant Championship after losing to UWRF in a series that went down to the wire last season. In Rocket League, UWRF F1 and UW-Stout breezed through the bracket en route to the championship showdown. UWRF started strong with a 2-1 series lead, including a 4-3 Game 3 comeback victory, in the best of seven finals but were unable to close out the series. UW-Stout claimed their 2^nd consecutive NW Regional Rocket League Championship, and UWRF F1 will play UW-Milwaukee in a must-win qualifying match on Monday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. live on www.twitch.tv/uwrfesports and www.youtube.com/@uwrfesports. This is a rematch from the WEC regular season in which UW-Milwaukee won the series 3-1. Should UWRF win, they will secure the program's first Rocket League bid to the WEC Championship.