AoC launches national esports football tournament

A national tournament that will see college students face-off against their peers in FIFA games for the first time has been launched by AoC Sport.

The FIFA 2020 College Lockdown Championship will see learners in teams of three using their Xbox One and PlayStation 4 console to compete against others from across the country weekly from May.

The two best teams will compete to be crowned the ultimate winners in a final on 1 July 2020.

Players from AoC Sport member colleges will go up against each other as well as English Colleges Football Association national team footballers.

It will be run in partnership with the British Esports Association.

Dean Hardman, AoC director of sport and student experience, said many colleges have participated in esports over the past two years and this FIFA lockdown tournament “presents a further opportunity for even more colleges and students to get involved, playing one of the most popular video game titles among students”.

A spokesperson added that with students across the country learning from home as well as potentially caring for family members, self-isolating, volunteering and wanting to socialise over the summer, this competition is an “ideal activity for students to get involved in”. 

Gamers will form teams of three, each playing a 12-minute match in the Ultimate Team mode against opposing teams. There will be nine matches per round to determine the final score with tournaments running concurrently on PS4 and Xbox.

Rounds will take place every week from 13 May 2020, with teams being drawn against other colleges.

AoC Sport is encouraging colleges to appoint a student as captain to take charge of their team, arrange match times with other teams and enter their scores online.

Colleges have until 7 May 2020 to enter their team and submit their top player’s’ names/gaming IDs.

British Esports chair Andy Payne said: “We’re excited to be launching this new competition in partnership with our friends at AoC Sport. In these strange and uncertain times, it’s great to bring the community together virtually and allow students to get involved in something stimulating and inspiring.”

More information can be found here.