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Indiana Esports Network and Hamilton County Sports Authority have announced a joint effort to bring the Indiana esports state championships to a live audience on Saturday, April 25 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Over the past season, approximately 200 school districts across Indiana have competed in 15 different games, including Overwatch, Rocket League, Valorant, Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and League of Legends. And everything comes down to this!
“The City of Noblesville looks forward to welcoming the Indiana Esports Network to Riverview Health Arena at Innovation Mile,” Noblesville Mayor Chris Jensen said. “We purposely designed this venue to be a place for a wide range of event types, and welcoming esports athletes and fans will be an exciting opportunity for our community.”
The competitions will be run and live-streamed from an exciting new venue: Riverview Health Arena at Innovation Mile in Noblesville, thanks to a partnership between Indiana Esports Network, Hamilton County Sports Authority, and the City of Noblesville. Click here to see the schedule.
“Welcoming the IEN State Esports Championship to Riverview Health Arena is an exciting moment for Hamilton County,” Hamilton County Sports Authority Director Carl Daniels said. “These competitors deserve a world-class stage, and that’s exactly what they’ll find in Noblesville. Esports is a growing athletic discipline in the country, and we’re thrilled to be at the forefront of bringing this kind of innovative event to the community.”
In addition to the competitions, over 20 esports programs from colleges and universities will be present at a recruiting fair focused on showcasing the opportunities that exist for students at the next level. Top esports programs from around the region will be looking to fill roster positions with the top talent that Indiana has to offer.
There will be opportunities throughout the day for parents, high school administrators, and coaches to learn more about esports, competing in esports, competing at the collegiate level, and more. Leveraging their knowledge to help parents better understand this new industry, coaches build strong and well-prepared teams and administrators to help see the value of esports for their students.
One such opportunity comes in partnership with the U.S. Army Esports team. The U.S. Army Esports Team competes and wins tournaments in various game titles to create awareness about Army service, Soldier experiences, and being able to continue your passions while serving in the U.S. Army. The team is leveraging competitive gaming to build communities and mentor students for future roles in technology. Through tournaments and live events, soldier-athletes demonstrate how the teamwork and problem-solving skills used in-game are the same ones that lead to success in high-demand tech careers and in the United States Army.
This initiative connects with students on a platform they are passionate about, creating awareness of the opportunity to pursue those passions while serving in the U.S. Army. It also highlights the wide range of technology-focused careers available, with team members – many from STEM backgrounds – sharing their experiences and mentoring students on transitioning from a gaming hobby to a fulfilling career.
“As IEN continues to grow (now to over 200 schools and 5,000 students) so does our annual IEN State Finals event,” IEN Executive Director Joe Wilhelm. “This year will be the biggest ever! And that growth leads to an exciting change in venue. We’re incredibly excited to partner with Hamilton County and the City of Noblesville to host this event at the new Riverview Health Arena at Innovation Mile. This is the perfect venue for this event and will create an exciting atmosphere for competitors and spectators alike. If you want to see the best of what Indiana has to offer in terms of scholastic esports, we hope to see you there!”
IEN State Finals 2026 is a free event open to the public. Click here for more information.
About Indiana Esports Network
Indiana Esports Network (IEN) is a 100 percent volunteer-driven, educator-led organization. IEN is a collective of over 200 school districts across the state ranging in size, demographics, and socioeconomic populations all with the same goal: to use esports as a vehicle to engage students who aren’t involved in traditional athletics or afterschool activities, to increase academic performance/motivation, to create an inclusive community of students that fosters social growth, and to provide students with meaningful opportunities to develop 21st Century skills and career competencies in a novel way. Learn more at indianaesportsnetwork.org.
