Since the inception of the Michigan High School Esports League in 2020, we’ve seen tremendous growth season after season, year after year. Now that our league is FREE TO COMPETE, we have just shattered our enrollment records for our Spring 2024 season, which is now underway.
164 enrolled schools with more than 800 teams are engaging roughly 3,000 students across the state; MHSEL continues to be Michigan’s largest and most substantial high school esports league thanks to our league schools. MHSEL offers an unrivaled esports experience for high schools with 10 available game titles, in-person tournaments, championships and more!
Why are schools lining up to join MHSEL?
First, we have an incredible platform partner through PlayVS. PlayVs provides our league and teams with an easy to use state-of-the-art dashboard for coaches and students. Schools can connect with their opponents for the week, review records and enter scores, scout for upcoming matches, manage teams/rosters and access a multitude of resources. The platform has a highlighted feature referred to as the Smart Scheduler for higher match completion and reduced forfeits for teams.
Secondly, we have dedicated support teams through both MHSEL and PlayVS to assist students, coaches and administrators from beginning their program all the way through the season. MHSEL and PlayVS provide resources and support during: the onboarding process to help programs be successful and have a great experience; match day technology support with an average response time of 4 minutes with a 96% satisfaction rating; as well as provide online resources, webinars, trainings and more to assist with any questions or concerns that come up through the season.
Thirdly, and most importantly, our mission is focused on providing opportunities for students. MHSEL and PlayVS are working to remove barriers so it is easier for schools to offer esports programs.
- Our league is now FREE to compete so that it is easier for more schools to offer esports programs, regardless of budget or resources, so students can experience the many benefits associated with competitive gaming.
- As noted earlier we offer 10 of the most popular game titles and PlayVS has game publisher partnerships that provide many free benefits to schools in our league such as, but not limited to: free game-add ons, Nintendo bundles, Hearthstone unlocked, League of Legends Campus unlocked and free game copies.
- MHSEL has partnerships with colleges/universities and professional esports programs, providing our students with the opportunity to interact with industry leaders to explore vast career paths and work towards their future goals.
- Additionally, MHSEL and PlayVS provide safe competitive and curricular environments for students to build critical skill sets and contribute to their school’s culture within varsity esports. Each year MHSEL hosts in-person and virtual tournaments, in-person semi-finals and state championships, conferences and more. Many events are partnered with league schools and colleges/universities.
Click to view Why MHSEL Handout
What else is happening this season?
MHSEL has a lot planned this Spring Season including tournaments and in-person semi-finals and championships!
- Saturday, March 9 | DC’s Sanctum Series: Smash 2024
- An individual Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Tournament for high school students (registration open to first 64 players!), hosted by Divine Child High School in partnership with Central Michigan University, presented by MHSEL.
- Friday, March 15 | Big Thumb Esports Showcase 2024
- Eight team Rocket League (3v3) invitational hosted by Brown City High School and presented by MHSEL.
- Saturday, March 16 | Griffin-Laker Invitational 2024
- Eight team Rocket League (3v3) invitational hosted by Grand Valley State University in partnership with the Grand Rapids Griffins Hockey team presented by MHSEL.
- Important Dates for the Spring Season
- Weeks of April 15-26 | Playoffs Occur (specified game title schedules coming soon)
- Saturday, April 27 | In-Person Semi-Finals & State Championships at Oakland University for the top four most popular state league game titles this season: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rocket League, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Overwatch 2.
We will host additional esports webinars later in the spring for schools interested in learning more about the benefits of esports and how to join us for next fall. Many resources can be found right now by visiting mhsel.org.
