Following the success of the FIFA Lockdown Championships in 2020, AoC Sport is once again partnering with the British Esports Association (BEA) to offer students the chance to represent their college in the AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup.
52 colleges from across the country will compete in weekly fixtures from March to May, with 41 teams competing in the Xbox One tournament and 38 teams in the PlayStation 4 tournament.
You can view the colleges and academies taking part here.
With students continuing to learn from home, the AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup offers a great opportunity for them to stay connected and represent their institution on a national level.
Format and dates
The AoC Sport FIFA 21 Cup will be for teams of three on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to compete nationally every week from March.
Students will form teams of three, each playing 12-minute matches against opposing teams. Rounds will take place every week from Wednesday 10th March 2021 in a group stage and playoffs.
Although staff members will take overall responsibility for the esports team, colleges are encouraged to appoint a student as captain to take charge of their team, arrange match times with other teams and enter their scores online.
British Esports has resources and support available to help college tutors understand the new FIFA tournament.
The tournament will adopt BEA’s dedicated code of conduct to ensure the values of fair play and respect are adhered to throughout.
The 2020 winners were Hills Road Sixth Form College (PS4) and Priestley College (Xbox).
Dean Hardman, AoC Director of Sport and Student Experience, commented:
“It’s fantastic to be once again working with BEA to increase competitive opportunities for further education colleges and their students across the country. Last year, alongside our members, we were able to engage hundreds of young people to compete and enjoy the many benefits esports can offer. On behalf of our member colleges and their students, I would like to thank the British Esports Association for their ongoing support.”
“The continued impact of Covid-19 and lack of face-to-face contact, both socially and academically, means opportunities to stay connected are of ever-increasing importance. At a time when students are not able to develop skills through playing sport physically, esport competitions can have a vital role in enhancing the same attributes such as teamwork, communication and sportsmanship.”
Alice Leaman, Schools and Colleges Liaison Officer for British Esports, said:
“We are excited to once again be able to work with AoC Sport to provide further opportunities for students during lockdown to get involved in esports, join an online community, and to represent their college during this difficult time.
“Following the huge success of the AoC Sport FIFA tournament last year, we hope to see many new, and returning, colleges discovering esports and the skills involved.”