OKLAHOMA CITY (Nov. 21, 2023) – Epic Charter Schools today announced it has been selected to host the Oklahoma Scholastic Esports (OKSE) Fall 2023 State Championship tournament Dec. 11-12 at the Metro Tech Springlake Campus Business & Technology Center, located at 1800 Springlake Dr. in Oklahoma City.
This will be the fourth year for the OKSE state championship, which began with nine teams in 2020. More than 200 Oklahoma schools competed this season for a chance to compete in the tournament.
“Epic is all in on esports,” Epic Charter Schools Superintendent Bart Banfield said. “Esports is about inclusivity, and opportunity as the gaming industry continues to boom with more scholarship and career opportunities than ever before. Gaming is now, and will continue to be, integral in education. Children who regularly play video games are faster and more accurate on cognitive tasks than those who never play.
Thirty-one teams will compete in this year’s state championship, including: Altus, Arapaho-Butler, Broken Bow, Cache, Cheyenne, Cyril, Davis, Edmond Memorial, Elk City, Epic Charter Schools, Geary, Glenpool, Green Country, Konawa, Laverne, Lawton Eisenhower, Lawton MacArthur, Moore, Norman, Owasso, Panama, Pocola, Ripley, Riverfield, Salina, Tecumseh, Wagoner, Waynoka, Weatherford, Webbers Falls and Westville.
Matches will take place between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day. Esports fans of all ages can watch the tournament live in person or via Twitch. There is no cost to attend. Games include Divine Knockout, Halo, Madden NFL, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, Street Fighter 6 and Valorant.
“I am beyond excited to see our state championship put on by Metro Tech and Epic Charter Schools because we know that both represent what we want to show all of Oklahoma, student success inside and outside of the classroom,” said Brian Morris, OKSE founder and president.
In 2022, Epic Charter Schools won the OKSE state championship in two games: Halo and Valorant and progressed to finish 4th nationally in Halo.
More Oklahoma schools have esports programs than swimming according to the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA), with 254 teams competing in esports and 119 in swimming.
Founded in 2011, Epic Charter Schools is Oklahoma’s largest public virtual charter school – and among the largest of its kind in the U.S. – serving approximately 30,000 students from PreK-12th grade in all 77 counties statewide. Visit epiccharterschools.org for more information.
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