Esports Competition | Aihec 2027

2027 AIHEC Student Conference

Esports

AIHEC Esports Competition Objectives:

AIHEC Esports Competition introduces and encourages students to explore STEM education disciplines and careers through structured, competitive gaming. Students will engage in a fun, inclusive, and collaborative activity that highlights digital skills and promotes teamwork, strategy, communication, and problem-solving. Esports showcases the growth of digital culture and technology in education and welcomes students who may not typically participate in more physical athletic competitions. Recognizing esports as a legitimate and meaningful form of student engagement is also a means of strengthening school pride and community connections across TCUs. This competition will feature game titles including Rocket League, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and Valorant, or titles determined by the host committee and lead coordinator.

The team game titles are designated for the TCUs in the league, as they need additional time to compete before the conference. That said, there’s still an opportunity to join the league. Please contact Shelly Knight @ sknight@aihec.org for more information.

Esports Objectives

Esports Rules

Esports Registration Form

Esports Objectives

AIHEC Esports Competition Objectives:

AIHEC Esports Competition introduces and encourages students to explore STEM education disciplines and careers through structured, competitive gaming. Students will engage in a fun, inclusive, and collaborative activity that highlights digital skills and promotes teamwork, strategy, communication, and problem-solving. Esports showcases the growth of digital culture and technology in education and welcomes students who may not typically participate in more physical athletic competitions. Recognizing esports as a legitimate and meaningful form of student engagement is also a means to strengthening school pride and community connections across TCUs. This competition will feature game titles including Rocket League, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and Valorant, or titles determined by the host committee and lead coordinator.

Esports Rules

AIHEC Esports Competition Rules:

Each participating Tribal College will enter one or more game titles (e.g., 3–5 players depending on the game). A team must represent no more than one Tribal College or University.
Every team must have an adult who is employed by the team’s academic institution, following the same exceptions outlined in the “Team/Institution relationship” section, who will act as the institution’s official liaison. They may solicit assistance or volunteers from their community as needed, but only the official school liaison is recognized by AIHEC Esports Competition for the purposes of communication, discipline, and transmission of student data.
Teams will be supplied with:

a. Logins to the game engine and titles for all eligible participants.

b. Network access sufficient to compete and engage with the game engine.

c. A scoreboard identifying current team scores and rankings.

d. A room of at least 5,000 sqft for players and spectators or able to accommodate 75 people.

e. At least four 15-amp power outlets.

f. All computing equipment, including consoles, controllers, computers, monitors, keyboards, mice, or other input devices, and associated cables.

Teams will compete in game titles hosted at the competition.
The competition will follow a single or double elimination bracket format or round robin, depending on the number of teams.
Teams adhere to the TCU Esports League Code of Conduct and Integrity Regulations.
Teams are not allowed to sabotage each other during this competition. Unsportsmanlike behavior, cheating, or harassment will result in disqualification.

Esports Objectives

AIHEC Esports Competition Guidelines and Procedures:

The Esports coordinator is chosen by the host committee. The Esports coordinator will reserve an appropriately sized Esports location. If an audience larger than 50 spectators is permitted to attend, then a large conference room will be required.
The Esports coordinator will provide periodic updates to the host committee concerning registration numbers.
The Esports coordinator may use the proven rules from above and adjust as the need arises to adapt to the specific host location, participant-entry size, budget limitations, etc.
All equipment must be contained within the room.
No material may encroach within the walkways and common areas of the competition.
No extension cords, power strips, adapters, generators, batteries, or similar items may be used to extend or expand the provided power.
No high-amperage items such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, or the like may be used.
Suggested Checklist of Materials to bring to the conference: master spreadsheet of the registered students, bracket cards, projector screen, computers, server, and projector.
Have a firm registration deadline.
If desired, a coordinator may host an orientation and training day on day one of the conference and move the entire competition to the second day of the conference.
Enter registered students into a master spreadsheet by college/team to ease the check-in process at the conference.
The coordinator arrives at the conference at least one (1) day before the competition to set up the room reserved for the Esports stage and to confirm that all equipment is working properly.
The Esports coordinator is responsible for reporting the winning teams to the awards’ banquet coordinator.