UM-Flint esports: A breakout season and a run to the national championship

The University of Michigan-Flint Esports program is celebrating a landmark year, marked by deep playoff runs, a national championship appearance, and the program's first Eastern College Athletic Conference title. The successes reflect both competitive excellence and a growing sense of community on campus.

Under the leadership of program manager Luke Rimarcik, UM-Flint Esports underwent a transformation focused on competitive growth and team cohesion. Rimarcik emphasized a shift from isolated efforts to a unified, driven environment where teams regularly scrimmaged, reviewed gameplay footage, and pushed each other to improve. "In the past, we'd only seen a couple of teams take things seriously," Rimarcik explained. "This year, we set a new standard. The results speak for themselves, with Valorant and Rocket League making headlines for their playoff runs."

Rocket League Maize: ECAC Champions

The Rocket League Maize team, comprised entirely of first-year students, had a historic season, going undefeated in the regular season and securing the university's first ECAC playoff championship.

Jacob Cummings, a first-year computer science major from Owosso, credited the team's success to "resilience and adaptability," noting the team's ability to exploit opponents' weaknesses and rally in high-pressure moments. A defining point came in the semifinals when the team overcame a two-goal deficit to win a pivotal game, setting the stage for its championship run. "The playoff experience was amazing. Game 6 of our semifinals was the moment I knew we could win it all. We were down 3-2 in the series and fighting for our chance to stay in it. After we went down early, we rallied back from a two-goal deficit and won that game and the next one."

For Cummings and his team members, they couldn't be prouder of their accomplishments this season. "It feels incredible to bring home a trophy for the university, especially as an all-first-year team," Cummings said. 

Keyshaun Jones, a first-year pre-nursing student from Fenton, highlighted the team's communication and consistency as keys to success. "We kept our communication up and constantly worked on what we could do better during the game and practice," he said. Jones was "ecstatic," and winning as a rookie made the moment even more special. "As a first-year student, I never expected my teammates and I to travel such a distance. Seeing the effort we all put into securing this championship felt amazing,'' he said.

Valorant Blue: From Roster Changes to National Contenders

The Valorant Blue squad overcame early-season roster changes and role swaps to find rhythm, eventually securing a spot in the National Esports Collegiate Conference national finals. Their journey included a dominant, undefeated run at the Ferris State LAN event. It resulted in UM-Flint's first LAN trophy since 2022 and a critical win over the University of Oklahoma to advance in the national bracket.

First-year computer science major Tyrone Zheng from Commerce Township, who stepped into the in-game leader role, described the season as "long and tiring, but very exciting and fun." The team's ability to adapt and support each other was key to their late-season surge. "We finally have the winning formula and what it takes to win," Zheng said. He also emphasized that the supportive environment at UM-Flint encourages new players to "be yourself and be involved."

Helping the team reach new heights and make a deep run in the NECC playoffs was one of the more rewarding accomplishments for Zheng this season. "It feels great to win, obviously, it means a little extra to me personally because I know how much work and time everyone on the team has put both into the game and time outside the game," he said. 

The team competed against the University of North Carolina-Wilmington earlier this month for a shot at the national title, coming up just short in a hard-fought match.

A Community Built for Success

UM-Flint's state-of-the-art esports facility and select targeted scholarships have played a crucial role in attracting and developing top talent. The facility offers a space for both casual and competitive play, fostering camaraderie and team spirit. "Being able to yell and give your teammates fist bumps after every round adds so much value to the environment," Rimarcik said. For Cummings, having a space to hang out with his team and unwind has been one of the highlights since joining. "Everyone in the program is so friendly and respectful toward each other. The lab is the best place on campus to go and relax and not be afraid to be yourself," he said.

Rimarcik also highlighted the program's inclusive atmosphere and commitment to student well-being. "I take it upon myself to connect with all the teams and try to get feedback on what they need. I see myself as the 'dad' of the program – always present, always supportive. We also aim to livestream daily during the season, Monday through Friday. We always try to change which teams we showcase each week, so we give every team a chance to be in the spotlight to show off their skills to the fans," he said. 

The community and camaraderie among the teams have created an environment that Zheng said made his first year at UM-Flint memorable. "It has actually made my first school year really enjoyable. I'm always looking forward to next week's match or practice. Being in the Esports program has brought a lot of enjoyable memories and friends." 

With multiple teams making playoff runs, including League of Legends Blue, Overwatch Maize, Rocket League Blue, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros Blue and Valorant Maize, Rimarcik sees a bright future ahead. He is confident that the program's upward trajectory will continue, driven by a culture of learning from setbacks and striving for excellence. "Some of these players have never competed on a team before. Helping them learn and grow is what makes this program special," he said.

Rimarcik is particularly proud of the program's progress and the recognition it's starting to receive. "It's nice to start making headlines to show prospective students and other organizations that the University of Michigan-Flint is making quite a few headlines for itself. Especially since we are the only varsity esports program among the three U-M campuses, it feels good to show and talk about all this new success within the program." 

Current or prospective students interested in joining the program can contact Rimarcik at [email protected]. The team can be followed on its Instagram page or watched stream games on its Twitch channel.