FLORENCE – It was as easy as b2b for the University of North Alabama Esports team as they roared to the fall College Halo National Championship.
The Lions capped off a remarkable season with an undefeated record finishing the season 10-0 in regular season play and 4-0 in the postseason. They had an 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. “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, Clemson, Penn State, and Oklahoma.
In the playoffs, UNA defeated Southern Nazarene, New Mexico State and Oklahoma. The Lions finished the tournament sweeping York (Pa.) College 3-0 in the finals for the championship.
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 Smith.
“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. “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 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 continued its success with NECC divisional championships in “Valorant” and “League of Legends” last fall.
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 by following on Twitch, X, and Instagram at @UNA_Esports.
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