The University of North Alabama (UNA) Esports Team is the reigning victor of the Fall 2024 College Halo National Championship, capping off a season with an undefeated record.
The Lions finished the season 10-0 in regular season play, 4-0 in the postseason, and achieved an impressive overall map count of 33-1.
“I’ve been chasing something like this since 2007 when I was 15 and Halo 3 had just released,” said Dillon White, who goes by the gamertag Odin, in a press release. “Obviously, we still feel as though the job isn’t finished, and we have much more to accomplish. But this was definitely a childhood dream come true.”
The 2024 season featured victories over prominent Power 5 Esports programs, including Mississippi State University, Clemson University, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Oklahoma.
In the playoffs, UNA asserted its dominance with decisive victories over Southern Nazarene University, New Mexico State University and the University of Oklahoma.
The Lions finished the tournament in style, sweeping York College Pennsylvania 3-0 in the grand finals to claim the championships.
In addition to White (Odin), the championship team members include Colton Smith (StanTheCarMan), Chase Miller (Kiljxy), and Nick Morris (Zenny).
Communication during the game has been the key to this season’s success, according to StanTheCarMan.
“We often struggled through the semester in certain maps when our comms would get low energy, and we would play just about as flat as the comms would get,” he said in a press statement. “Being able to screen and be the hype man for the team really helped give everyone the energy we needed the entire tournament.
We also practiced multiple times a week, and when we were not practicing, we were watching VOD [video on demand] or playing the game recreationally with each other.”
The championship marks the second national title for UNA Esports, following the 2021 NECC “Overwatch” Championship. The program has continued its success, earning NECC divisional championships in “Valorant” and “League of Legends” in Fall 2023.
Kiljxy said it “feels amazing” to bring a national championship title to UNA.
It’s “a real honor to represent the school and represent our club that is working hard every day,” he said. “I really hope that this win helps cement Esports in the foundation of UNA, and, if any students who happen to play games think they have something to contribute or want to help in any way, reach out and become part of the growing scene.”
Fans can watch and celebrate the UNA Esports team’s continued success by following the team on Twitch, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @UNA_Esports.