We’re thrilled to announce that the NIU Esports Overwatch 2 Team won the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Division 6 Midwest Regional Tournament in late 2024. This victory guarantees them a spot in the national tournament that the NECC will be hosting in 2025.
Coach Jakob Furgat says he couldn’t be prouder of the team, which includes:
Austin “Austy125” Biel
Brandon “Allegro” Diehl
Jayme “FlipFlop” Fortino
Ethan “PKZER0” Gamble
Jillian “HAZE” Thomason
Kyle “Plasimodo” Figueroa
Tate “Goobie” Regnery
In their tournament run, the team went undefeated (10-0) throughout the semester.
Take a look at this clip from the championship match!
Furgat says he’s particularly proud of Ethan “PKZER0” Gamble’s growth throughout the semester.
“Ethan has been a substitute player on the team, in the support role in game for the past two years. This year Ethan has moved to the tank role in game and has taken more of a leadership role within the team, as well. He has handled this huge transition with ease and has been a big contributor to our team’s success.”
After competing in the NECC this fall semester, the team is preparing for the Esports Collegiate varsity season in the spring.
Furgat says,
“Our victory in NECC this semester gave our team a lot of confidence for the Esports Collegiate Conference (ESC) season. After finishing sixth in Esports Collegiate last year, I know a lot of returning players were uncertain about being able to achieve that again this year because of all of the changes made within our team. Our rapid growth throughout the semester, and overwhelming victory in NECC has only given us that certainty that we can continue our success and carry momentum heading into the spring.”
Furgat and the team are excited to see all of the changes other schools have made to their teams as they enter the ESC season.
“The Esports Collegiate Conference always felt a little more personal since we get to compete against the same teams every year. As a coach, it’s always feels nice to see the development of other teams alongside our own. We’re looking forward to some really good matches this spring.”
The team is also grateful for the support of the NIU community that has helped them get so far.
“We’ll give Esports Collegiate everything we have this spring, and I hope that everyone will continue to support us moving forward!”
