After seeing some of the best Rocket League we’ve ever witnessed at the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Fall Major, we knew there was more we could bring to the Rocket League Esports ecosystem in 2022. It's time to truly make Collegiate Rocket League (CRL) an international league. So today, we’re proud to announce that we'll be introducing Europe into Collegiate Rocket League and for the first time ever hosting a Collegiate Rocket League (CRL) World Championship.
So, what does this all mean for CRL? In North America, not much will change. North American CRL will still operate in the Spring and Fall, and we’ll still crown Spring and Fall Champions. The key difference is that the best teams from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will earn invites to the CRL World Championship that'll take place in June of 2022. This replaces the CRL National Championship that was held in previous years.
We’ll have more details in the coming months on our plans for the first-ever CRL World Championship and how invites will be distributed across North America and Europe. North American students can start their journey to the World Championship today by signing up for CRL on smash.gg.
European Expansion
We'll be taking a community-first approach to growing CRL in Europe. There will be a number of regional leagues across the continent to find the best teams in Europe. Top performers from those leagues will qualify for the CRL World Championship. More information and sign up info will be coming in the following weeks, so keep a lookout for your opportunity to get involved!
North American CRL Details and Signups
In North America, CRL will have 32 total teams competing (16 teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences) in Round-Robin League Play that begins on February 14 and ends on March 18. There are 28 qualifier spots available so sign up today for your chance to compete for your share of $100,000 in Scholastic Awards. Qualifiers take place on the weekends of January 29-30 and February 5-6 so make sure to get your team together and sign up to compete for your school!
Playoffs will take place on March 21 and 22 with 16 total teams qualified (the top eight teams in each Conference). From there, the top six teams (three from the Eastern Conference and three from the Western Conference) will qualify for the CRL Spring Championship on March 30 and 31. If a team makes the CRL Spring Championship, they are auto-qualified for the CRL World Championship. It's more important than ever to perform well during the 2022 CRL Spring Season, so make sure to assemble your squad and sign up now!
CCA Open
The CCA Open is returning this Spring! In this tournament, top Eastern and Western Conference teams that just missed the cut for CRL League Play will compete in four open events that take place over the course of February and March with $20,000 in prizing up for grabs! These teams earn points that allow them a chance to compete in future Collegiate Rocket League events which could include coveted spots to the Last Chance Qualifier, an online event held in May that will determine all remaining invites to the CRL World Championship from North American CRL. Be sure to check out more in the official discord.
The Future of CRL
Looking back, CRL has exceeded our expectations as a league over its nearly five-year history. With the expansion of community university leagues in Europe, a live World Championship and more to come this summer, we’re excited to see where CRL continues to go.
As we continue to grow the collegiate scene, we’ll be looking to expand CRL into a circuit-based system. We have a long way to go before that kicks off, but we’re hoping to take the learnings from the 2022 CRL Spring Season and apply them to building a circuit system for students to compete in for years to come.
Not only are we looking to expand the overall CRL competitive landscape, but we’re also working on new educational opportunities for students within the Rocket League Esports ecosystem. It’s a big undertaking, but we’re excited to not only change the student experience through competition, but also to provide meaningful experiences to help students become the creators of tomorrow. We’ll have more to share on our plans here in the future.
With all that said, we want to say thank you to the wonderful collegiate community that has supported CRL for the last five years. We wouldn’t be at this moment without you, and we’re looking forward to what the future holds for CRL. Feel free to check out our video rundown of the changes coming to CRL 2022 on YouTube and we'll see you out there for the 2022 CRL Spring Season. Good luck and have fun!
Open beginning on January 13, 2022 to legal residents of Canada (excluding Nunavut, Northwest Territories and Yukon) and the USA who are 15 years or older. Minors must have parental consent to participate. Players must be enrolled full time in college, university or vocational-technical school in Canada or USA and maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA or similar grading. Sixteen League prizes available: scholastic awards each with a value ranging between $270.83 to $2,708.33 USD, eight Regional Conference playoff prizes available: scholastic awards each with a value ranging between $143.75 to $750.00 USD and six Spring Championship prizes available: scholastic awards each with a value ranging between $216.67 to $1,333.33 USD. Winning depends on skill in playing Rocket League. Full Tournament rules: https://esports.rocketleague.com/crl-rules-spring2022