Riot and the Peach Belt Conference partner up for College League of Legends

Over 300 colleges and universities are competing in the College League of Legends championship, Riot Games’s annual event for its popular multiplayer online battle arena. And this year, newcomers from the Peach Belt Conference will be playing in their own regional contest as well as vying for a spot at the finals. It’s the first National Collegiate Athletic Association conference to join Riot’s official tournament. The regular season will begin on January 15, with finals to come on June 7.

“This is the first time an NCAA conference has recognized League of Legends,” said Riot’s associate esports manager Michael Sherman in an email to GamesBeat. “We want League of Legends to be a college sport and conferences are a long-lasting, important part of college competition. Playing for a conference championship can be among a student-athlete’s most rewarding experiences during his or her college years. More broadly, this is another example of how colleges and their leaders are better supporting gamers on their campuses, the same way they do other sports.”