CHICAGO – Roosevelt Esports made program history this weekend by advancing to the Top 24 of the Collegiate League of Legends National Tournament for the first time.

The 20^th-seeded Lakers opened their run on Saturday against Buffalo in Lower Round 1, dominating the Bulls in one of their most complete performances of the season. Roosevelt swept Buffalo 3-0, controlling the pace in all three matches to secure a place in the Top 24 and another milestone in what has been a breakthrough year for the program.

In Sunday's round of 24, the Lakers faced the Savannah College of Art and Design in a best-of-five that showcased Roosevelt's resilience. After dropping the first game, the Lakers responded to even the series behind a standout performance from AD carry Jun "Enryu" Huang. The third game was a marathon 46-minute affair with Huang posting an impressive 81,000 damage total. However, SCAD outlasted Roosevelt for the victory and a 2-1 lead.

Roosevelt answered the call in Game 4 with one of its strongest performances of the tournament to force the decisive Game 5 and the unmistakable sound of "Silver Scrapes," the iconic track played whenever a series goes the distance. Although, SCAD ultimately secured the victory, the nearly five-hour battle was a sign of Roosevelt's growth and readiness to compete at the highest levels of collegiate Esports.

The good news for the Lakers is the roster gained valuable experience in their first time on the national stage. Most of those on this year's squad are scheduled to return next year for Roosevelt, allowing the program to build off the momentum and foundation of this past season as it looks to best this year's result in 2027.