Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Robert Morris qualify for IEM Chicago Collegiate grand finals
The two collegiate teams who face off in Chicago have been decided, with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign and Robert Morris University claiming the two spots at the IEM Chicago Collegiate grand finals.
The semifinals kicked off with Robert Morris University taking on Ohio State University in a best-of-three series. Liam "Welshy" Newhouse led Robert Morris through to a 16-8 win, followed by a 16-9 map, giving them the series 2-0 and qualifying them for the showmatch.
At the other end of the bracket, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took on Michigan State University, with the best-of-three series kicking off on Overpass. Both teams were evenly matched, with Illinois at Urbana-Champaign taking a narrow lead at halftime 8-7. Daniel "YoungJefe" Fuentes led his team in the second half, with Illinois at Urbana-Champaign taking the first map 16-11.
Inferno was a tightly contested map, with MSU trailing 7-8 at the half. Not ready to give up the ghost, the Spartans fought back came back to take the map 16-14.
Looking to bounce back from throwing away their lead on Inferno, Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took the first half of Mirage handily. Danny "Bokuumbop" Yoo's team continued to overwhelm Michigan State, with the Illinoisan team taking the second map 16-7, giving them the series 2-0 and moving them onto the grand finals.
The rosters for the two teams are:
| University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign | Robert Morris University |
 Danny "Bokuumbop" Yoo Eric "pie-" Lee Ollantay "Occam" Scocos Vincent "Laterz" Tai Daniel "YoungJefe" Fuentes Yunhyuk "Freinzy" Kang |
Liam "Welshy" Newhouse Hunter "koga" Allen Jacob "SPERMY" Younan Andy "LenNox" Collins John "Reality" Riley |
The IEM Chicago Collegiate grand finals showmatch will take place on November 11th before the grand finals of the main event kick off. ESL has indicated that it intends to support the collegiate esports scene, especially in the midwest, following the end of IEM Chicago.
