Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation Announces 2026 Fall Season, State Championship, and Student Internship Expansion

Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation announces its Fall 2026 season, featuring regional leagues, the USAEL Open, student internships, career development opportunities, and the Stomp in the Swamp championship, expanding competitive esports and hands-on learning opportunities for K-12 students across Louisiana statewide.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States, September 11, 2026 -- Last season was a breakout year for Louisiana scholastic esports. We supported more than 16 in-person tournaments, crowned our first-ever state champions, and watched scholastic esports in Louisiana grow faster than ever. Now we're preparing for an even bigger fall, with new regional leagues, a student internship program, and a fall season build toward our biggest event yet, Stomp in the Swamp.

Competition kicks off Sept. 14 with the launch of the USAEL Open, the season-opening league that will carry students through the fall and toward our LASEF Fall Championship on Dec. 2 at the Raising Cane's River Center in Baton Rouge.

Students competing in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at the LASEF State Championship

Students competing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate at the LASEF State Championship

LASEF | Louisiana Esports Champions

Building on a Breakthrough Louisiana Esports Season

Our momentum has been building for more than a year. Last season, we supported and covered upwards of 16 in-person tournaments statewide, giving students across Louisiana more opportunities to compete outside the classroom.

The season's centerpiece was our first-ever LASEF Championship, where 32 players competed for state titles in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart. But the event was about more than the competition on screen. Our students also worked behind the scenes, helping run tournament operations, broadcasting, and production. Our programs and student athletes went on to earn local and national media coverage, putting a spotlight on what's happening in Louisiana esports.

We also brought Stomp in the Swamp to New Orleans last December, with a championship stop at LACUE, complete with sessions about esports that gave conference participants a chance to see the real value of esports, not just the games themselves. It was another step in growing our footprint across the state.

No Team? No Problem

One of the things that makes us different: students don't have to belong to a school esports team to participate. We built LASEF to give every K-12 student in Louisiana a path into competitive play, whether through a school team or as an independent competitor.

That includes students at schools without esports programs and homeschooled students. If you're registering independently, a parent or guardian will need to create the account and complete registration on the student's behalf.

We don't believe a student's opportunity to compete should depend on whether their school happens to have a team. If a student wants to play, we want to help give them a place to do it.

Online Competition | Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation

Esports Internships and Career Pathways for Louisiana Students

Beyond competition, we're expanding our focus on workforce development. Our new student internship program, alongside our existing Student Ambassador track, gives students hands-on experience across a wide range of disciplines connected to the esports industry, including:

• Broadcasting and shoutcasting
• Video production and photography
• Marketing and social media
• Information technology and cybersecurity
• Event operations and web development
• Digital media and artificial intelligence
• Esports management

Esports Internship Program | LASEF Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation

Our goal is simple: help students take the interests they already have and connect them to future education and career pathways. A student might join us because they love gaming and discover they love running a camera. Another might find a passion for broadcasting, marketing, or producing a live event. Esports may be the doorway. What students discover on the other side can go far beyond the game.

Stomp in the Swamp: Louisiana’s Fall Esports Championship

The fall season builds toward Stomp in the Swamp, our LASEF Fall Championship, set for Dec. 2 at the Raising Cane's River Center in Baton Rouge. Qualifying players and teams will advance from the USAEL Open's online competition to the in-person championship stage, with another group of students gaining hands-on event experience right alongside them. Competition, education, leadership, and workforce development, that's where we're headed.

Stomp in the Swamp | Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation

Looking Ahead to 2027

Our plans extend well past this season. We're looking toward fall 2027, when the EBRPSS Esports Arena is set to open, a new facility built for competition, hands-on training, broadcasting, technology, and career exploration. It'll also open the door to new training opportunities and partnerships that expand what students can experience through esports. We'll share more details, including new partners and programming, as we get closer to the opening.

New Louisiana Regional Esports Leagues Join LASEF

This season, we're growing the LASEF network with new regional leagues joining from across the state, along with the return of a familiar partner:

• St. Landry Parish School System
• Region 5 STEM Center in Lake Charles
• Washington Parish STEM Center
• Evangeline Parish Esports League
• East Baton Rouge Parish Esports League (returning)

Regional Leagues | Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation

Season at a Glance

• Sept. 14: USAEL Open season begins
• Dec. 2: LASEF Fall Championship, Stomp in the Swamp, Raising Cane's River Center, Baton Rouge (LACUE Conference)
• June (TBD): LASEF Championship
• Fall 2027: EBRPSS Esports Arena opening

Students have already started signing up for this season, and more are joining as we get closer to kickoff. If you've been thinking about getting involved, don't miss your chance to be part of it.

Whether you're part of an established esports program or a student looking for your first opportunity to compete, there's a place for you in LASEF.

Sign up, get in the game, and be part of the growth. Louisiana esports is just getting started.

Become a Student Ambassador

We're recruiting Student Ambassadors for the season ahead, and this is one of the best ways for students to get involved beyond the competition floor.

Ambassadors gain access to:

• Sponsored internships and learning opportunities, hands-on experience across broadcasting, production, marketing, IT, and event operations, supported by our partners.
• Field trips to industry and college partners, firsthand looks at what careers in esports and related fields actually look like, and a chance to connect with the colleges and companies building them.

If you know a student who's looking for more than just game time, this is where that starts.

Student Ambassador Program | Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation

Support LASEF

None of this happens without support. As LASEF continues to grow, new regional leagues, new internship opportunities, new events across the state, and a new arena on the horizon, we rely on donations and partnerships to keep expanding access for students.

If you'd like to support Louisiana scholastic esports and help us give every K-12 student a place to play, learn, and grow, we'd love to talk with you about how to get involved.

You can email directly to [email protected].

Contact Info:
Name: Jeffery Harrison
Email: Send Email
Organization: Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation
Website: https://lasefup.org/

Release ID: 89203026

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