The Sioux City metro will be host to its first-ever esports event at the Seaboard Triumph Foods Expo Center on March 10 and 11. The Morningside Esports Invitational was established to showcase the collegiate esports talent around the tri-state area and to foster a safe and friendly community for local and regional gamers to compete and spectate high levels of esports.

This event is a way to bring colleges and universities from all over the country to Sioux City to compete against other universities to give those players a way to showcase their talents in a large in-person event. Along with the collegiate competition, there will also be tournaments in different esports titles that will open to the community, which will draw players from Sioux City and the surrounding areas to come compete.

The Morningside Esports Invitational will also feature informative roundtable talks to educate the community about esports. These panel sessions are entitled “Directing an Esports Program,” “Life as a collegiate esports athlete,” and “The Women of Esports.”

Group stage competition in League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Valorant, and Rocket League will run from noon until 8 p.m. on Friday, and from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday. After that, the top four teams from each title will be seeded into two semifinals that will start at 3 p.m. and then a final at 6 p.m. 

Community tournaments are planned to run alongside the collegiate showcase events, including titles like Super Smash Bros., MarioKart, F.I.F.A., and Madden. These tournaments are open to anyone in attendance.