The nationally ranked teams have logged on, and the race to the inaugural USA TODAY Sports National High School Esports Championship is heating up.
After two weeks of round-robin competition across the three titles—"Rocket League," "Madden NFL," and "Marvel Rivals"—Gadsden High School (NM) has taken an early lead in the overall standings.
However, several teams are creating pressure as more head-to-head matchups take place, with a trio of schools currently within three of the lead.
And parity has defined the opening rounds: Three game titles. Three different points leaders.
With that in mind, the national championship trophy is still very much up for grabs.
Tournament format
The tournament's round-robin portion kicked off on Oct. 12 on the PlayVS platform and will
run through Dec. 4. Each school’s performance in the three titles will determine the leaderboard, with points awarded as follows.
- 1st Place - 8 points
- 2nd Place - 7 points
- 3rd Place - 6 points
- 4th Place - 5 points
- 5th Place - 4 points
- 6th Place - 3 points
- 7th Place - 2 points
- 8th Place - 1 point
The two schools with the highest point total will move on to play in the national championship on Dec. 11.
After two weeks of competition, here are the current standings:
'Rocket League'
1. Gadsden High School (NM) - 8 points
2. Chaparral High School (CO) - 7 points
3. Choctaw High School (OK) - 6 points
4. Bob Jones High School (AL) - 5 points
5. Picayune Memorial High School (MS) - 4 points
6. Central Academy of Technology and Arts (NC) - 3 points
7. La Cueva High School (NM) - 2 points
8. Jenks High School (OK) - 1 point
'Madden NFL'
1. La Cueva High School (NM) - 8 points
2. Chaparral High School (CO) - 7 points
3. Gadsden High School (NM) - 6 points
4. Bob Jones High School (AL) - 5 points
5. Choctaw High School (OK) - 4 points
6. Central Academy of Technology and Arts (NC) - 3 points
7. Picayune Memorial High School (MS) - 2 points
8. Jenks High School (OK) - 1 point
'Marvel Rivals'
1. Bob Jones High School (AL) - 8 points
2. Choctaw High School (OK) - 7 points
3. Gadsden High School (NM) - 6 points
4. Central Academy of Technology and Arts (NC) - 5 points
5. Chaparral High School (CO) - 4 points
6. La Cueva High School (NM) - 3 points
7. Picayune Memorial High School (MS) - 2 points
8. Jenks High School (OK) - 1 point
The road to the Esports National Championship
1. Gadsden High School (NM) - 20 points
T-2. Chaparral High School (CO) - 18 points
T-2. Bob Jones High School (AL) - 18 points
4. Choctaw High School (OK) - 17 points
5. La Cueva High School (NM) - 13 points
6. Central Academy of Technology and Arts (NC) - 11 points
7. Picayune Memorial High School (MS) - 8 points
8. Jenks High School (OK) - 3 points
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA TODAY Sports National High School Esports Championship standings: Week 2
