With basketball now a memory, and spring sports underway, there's one other sports competition heading for the University of Montana campus this weekend.

And it's all about the thumbs.

UM will be hosting the Big Sky State Games Esports competition this coming weekend, and has put out the call for all middle school, high school, and collegiate games from across Montana to give it their best shot on Saturday and Sunday, April 1st and 2nd.

The Games are the latest event for UM's Grizzly Esports Team, which is a program that has been growing rapidly in recent years and competes as an official UM sport, complete with jerseys and scholarships.

University of Montana photo
University of Montana photo
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The UM gamers are emerging as some of the best in the region with teams playing big games like League of Legends, Overwatch 2, Rocket League, Smash Ultimate, and others. They compete regularly at the University Center on campus.

These games will pit players against one another online in a one-on-one format Saturday with Rocket League matches, so players across the state can join in. Sunday, there will be three-on-three matches live in the UC Ballroom, and those games will be broadcast live.

University of Montana photo
University of Montana photo
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The whole idea is to get students interested in working in the fields of game design and interactive media, which is a new major at UM.

“The gaming field is an incredibly fast-growing economic sector across the country. This is about having fun, sure, but it is also about introducing students to programming that can lead to high tech jobs after they graduate." - UM Esports Director Michael Cassens

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University of Montana photo
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The Games are hosted by the University of Montana and sponsored by TDS Fiber and Destination Missoula.

If you'd like to join, you can register online this week.

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