South Carolina League of Legends team suspended after using a ringer

The University of South Carolina’s League of Legends team has been suspended for the remainder of the 2017 Campus Series season after allegedly using a ringer in a match against Georgia Southern, Riot Games announced in a competitive ruling Tuesday.

According to the ruling, a player named Waraight, who is not on the team’s roster but “has been known to scrim” with them, played during the team’s game against Georgia Southern, but did so on the account of Mckenize, a player on the team.

This suspicion arose because of various behaviors in and out of game, including Summoner Spells on opposite keys and unexpected champion picks. CSL officials escalated the issue to us after conducting an investigation of their own.

Since these games happen over the internet rather than in person, there’s no way for a team to confirm the team they are playing against is who they say they are. Using a player not on the roster means the enemy team is unable to prepare for the opponents’ champion pool and playing style.

As a result of the ruling, USC’s Division One League team has been disqualified from the 2017 Campus Series, as have all six players on the roster and Waraight.

Riot has attempted to expand its reach into the collegiate scene in recent years, revamping the Campus Series for 2017 with significant expansion and announcing a partnership with the Big Ten Network for a Big Ten League of Legends season.