The NIU Paintball Club will compete in the collegiate national paintball tournament for the second consecutive year on April 16 and 17 at Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

The competition will be held at the Wide World of Sports Complex, where teams will be placed in divisions to start the tournament. The top three or four teams from each division qualify to compete in the tournament bracket after the divisional round. The non-advancing teams will take part in a consolation bracket.

The remaining part of the tournament becomes single elimination until only four teams are left. The last four will compete in a round-robin tournament to crown a champion.

The winner of the tournament receives a trophy, but that is not all the team competes for, said Jeremy Frew, a senior business management major and graduating paintball club president.

“[The team] also competes out of enjoyment for the sport and pride,” Frew said.

All collegiate paintball teams are welcome to enter the competition, Frew added. He also said he hopes playing in the national tournament will increase the club’s exposure.

“Hopefully, [playing in the tournament] will bring more people into our sport,” Frew said. “Incoming students could see NIU has a paintball club and want to come here.”

The Huskies are ranked fifth nationally and expect to do well in the 90-team competition.

“We have played a lot of the teams before,” said J.J. Binek, a sophomore business administration major and new club president, “so we should rank pretty well down [in Florida].”

Mike Szajda, a senior industrial engineering major, said he is looking forward to playing in Florida and having a good time. Frew and Binek agreed with Szajda, saying the tournament environment makes it a lot of fun.

Six players, including one alternate, will leave Thursday for the competition and will return Monday. The trip will cost about $300 per person, with each player paying for himself, Frew said. He said the paintball club asked the Student Association for help paying but never received a response.