Ultimate Gaming Championship (UGC), a leading esports events company and Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Department of Automotive Technology are partnering to launch the Motorsports Gaming League (MGL), a competitive online video game racing league designed to foster competition in high schools and colleges globally.
The MGL will commence officially with Forza Motorsport 7 this spring with a minimum of $2,400 in scholarships and awards available to winning competitors for its opening season.
The MGL will operate annually in two seasons, each spanning eight weeks during the fall and spring semesters. The league will launch with Forza Motorsport 7 as its flagship title, while other racing games will be considered for the league at a later time based on interest and demand. The MGL will feature three divisions of play focused on high schools, colleges, and an open amateur circuit.
On March 31, the MGL will debut with its preseason trial, an open season available to all players before its official launch this fall. UGC will host a live event this summer on the SIU Carbondale campus to raise awareness about the league.
UGC will operate and manage all areas of the league’s competitive systems including setup, matchmaking, broadcast, and platform support. The racing league will be played online, exclusively on UGC’s competitive gaming platform, UGC Esports.
Entry into the MGL ranges from $20 for the preseason trials to $60 for the complete 2020-2021 season, which consists of eight-week sessions in fall 2020 and spring 2021.
“The Motorsports Racing League represents a unique opportunity for UGC to expand into a passionate community of racing gamers as well as educate school administrators and develop esports programs at high schools and universities around the country,” said Matt Jackson, CEO and founder of Ultimate Gaming Championship, which is based in Edwardsville, Illinois.
Jackson is a dual-degree SIU Carbondale graduate, earning his bachelor’s degree in architecture and a Master of Architecture degree.
The SIU Department of Automotive Technology will solicit its expertise in motorsports including, but not limited to, design, function, and marketing of the league to other schools.
Individuals from both the university’s automotive technology program and UGC will serve on the league’s executive board to manage its day-to-day operations, tournament standards, and overall growth and direction.
“Esports racing brings the action packed thrill of motorsports directly to the individual racer. Racers of all ages and skills have the opportunity to experience the excitement of competition as they challenge themselves against others on various tracks in the motorsports industry. Pushing themselves and their vehicle to maximum performance could net them one of the many awards and prizes available.” said Michael B. Behrmann, department chair and associate dean of the College of Applied Sciences and Arts.
As part of the agreement, SIU Automotive and UGC will work together to consult educational institutions interested in joining the MGL and starting its own esports club. This will include full-service consulting on equipment requirements, local business fundraising strategies, managing players, and locating scholarship opportunities. Additionally, UGC will outfit one high school or university with its very own team kit for participating in its MGL social campaign on Facebook.
Learn more about the Motorsports Racing League by visiting https://ugcevents.gg/mgl/.
