Thanks to Jdubya for the graphics!
Ever wonder what it would be like to have your home team play against your biggest rivals -- not on the football field, but instead on the virtual landscape of StarCraft?wa
Welcome to the Collegiate StarLeague.
Welcome to the Collegiate StarLeague.
Season 5 has by far been our largest, longest, and toughest season. Over three hundred schools, 8,000 players, and 5% of North America's Grandmasters have been playing week after week in the Collegiate Starleague to decide -- once and for all -- who deserves the collegiate crown. After a season of inter- and intra-divisional play where teams could always drop a game or two without repercussions, we're finally getting down to the point where every set matters. Welcome to sudden-death single elimination. Losing a game could mean getting sent home to wait for Season 6.
And winning only means that you have to win again.
So after a brief interlude in Las Vegas, we bring to you the toughest playoff race that CSL has ever witnessed in four years.
This week in CSL, sixty-four schools remain from our original 318 schools. From UC Davis playing their opponents from The Cosmopolitan at IPL, to our Canadian newcomers University of Guelph toppling the best American team from Season 4, the Round of 128 was an intensive two-week affair for the world of collegiate StarCraft.
Rising in the East
March Madness swept the East Coast and crowned none other than Rutgers University as the champion -- but by no means is there a definitive frontrunner in the Eastern Region. Dalhousie, sneaking in from the North, is looking unbeatable since their first and last defeat in September. Formerly of the Central Region, University of Pittsburgh will receive a welcome party from UMCP -- but fortunately for Pitt, it seems that their Grandmaster Zerg, Xog, would be more than happy to crash the party.
Overall, we predict a forecast of dominance: expect UMBC to crush Yale 3-0 or 3-1, NYU to dominate our fallen giant of Seasons 1-3, Duke, and Rutgers to take out Brandeis.
Rutgers, the Crimson Knights and Princeton LAN Champions
Fun facts
TaylorSwift plays for Columbia University
Notable matches
Princeton vs. VCU
A newly born rivalry from 2012: welcome to the rematch from the CSL Princeton Regional LAN. VCU knocked Princeton out of its own LAN -- can we look forward to a repeat performance?
Dalhousie vs. Harvard
Dalhousie narrowly beat Harvard 3-2 in the regular season, but will they be able to defeat a team who's beaten our former Season 2 champions, Waterloo?
Duke vs. NYU
Duke was an uncontested force in CSL Seasons 1-3 -- but ever since coL.rsvp and Liquid`Tyler graduated from their alma mater, recent seasons have been an uphill struggle. Will the former runner-up champions be able to take on NYU, a 12-man deep Masters team?
The Wild West
We ran into several CSL West teams in Nevada this past weekend and chatted a bit about regional playoffs. The Western bracket can perhaps be summed up in three words as: "Yeah, West sucks." Before you get out your pitchforks for that poorly phrased summary -- that doesn't mean that teams in the Western region suck, but instead that being in West is, undoubtedly, the hardest route to the finals. Maybe it's something in the water or the Korean BBQ, but the UC system manages to produce endless talent year after year: Davis, Berkeley, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Irvine, and Riverside compete toe-to-toe every year, and sometimes Los Angeles joins in the fray. Team LighT lurks in the shadows of Washington state (who knew you could find a pair of Grandmasters in one school?) and Northwest Canada's stalife and coL.firezerg present formidable obstacles in UBC's side of the bracket.
Questions on everyone's mind:
- Do Berkeley's KBBQ+bowling expeditions boost their team unity?
- Is UCSD still in the running despite their ace players sticking to Brood War or retiring?
- Will Davis keep their winning streak of 17-0?
We can safely say that every single match will be close in the West, but be sure to check this one out.
Notable matches
U Washington vs CSU Fullerton
x6Mystik from CSU Fullerton and KawaiiriceLighT & CaliberLighT from University of Washington meet in a clash of Grandmasters this weekend. Let's see how the "all-star effect" plays out.
Northern Stars
Here in the Northern Region, we have something that's scarier in the world of StarCraft than Californians: Canadians. Waterloo, Western Ontario, and even newcomers University of Guelph prove the tradition of strong Canadian presence in the CSL. But while Waterloo returns to the playoffs to defend a championship title, after losing CombatEX to a permaban and losing to Harvard University at the CSL Princeton LAN, it seems that reaching Regional Quarterfinals will be a difficult undertaking -- especially with University of Western Ontario potentially waiting on the other side.
But rest assured, fellow Americans, the Great Lakes are well represented by the Midwest. Now that RPI is out of the running, notable American contenders include Cincinnati (15-1) and Michigan (13-2).
Fun Fact
Miami University’s goswser ’s 20 win streak was broken recently by Case Western Reserve University. Proof that the “all-star effect” isn’t as OP as we might think? Can anyone say Bo5?
Featured Matches
RIT vs. UofG
Meet MLG Columbus’s underdog and killer of coL.Killer, YaTa. RIT’s ace will need to take down the formidable University of Guelph who defeated RPI last week.
UWO vs. Michigan
Canadian powerhouse (14-2) meets University of Michigan (13-2) after knocking out their compatriots and rivals, Michigan State University 3-2 earlier in the season. Featuring It’s Gosu’s ostojiy.
Center Stage in Central Region
They say that everything’s bigger in Texas… and that’s certainly true if ESPORTS in Texas is anything to go by. Other than California, the Lone Star State presents the strongest lineup of teams: Houston, Texas A&M, North Texas, UT, and UT Arlington.
Even BarCrafts are bigger.
But we’ll have to hand it to Indiana – a school that takes center stage in the Central Region and quashes all opposition in unforgiving 3-0 or 3-1’s.
Featured Matches
UNT vs. CSM
How will newcomers Colorado School of Mines fare against UNT’s strong lineup this season? With a Korean GM, lineup researchers, and an amazing team atmosphere, UNT could join the CSL Hall of Fame after their run this season.
Stay tuned for news on broadcasts, interviews, and more features!
This Week in CSL
April 6-8, CSL @ IPL - The Collegiate Starleague, Las Vegas, and IGN Proleague - what's the connection?
Until May 4 - CSL All Stars 2012 - Voting Begins!
Want your share in the glory and fame? Are you rolling the competition and wondering why we aren't talking about it? Email cstarleague@gmail.com or tweet @Cstarleague and let us know everything that's happening!
Original Post.