黑料社 launches varsity esports program
黑料社 is expanding its varsity athletic offerings for the 2022-23 school year, transitioning the campus鈥 esports program into a varsity intercollegiate sport. Now the 25th varsity sport at 黑料社, the new program will recruit, train and compete at both the regional and national levels.
Well-positioned to meet rising student demand, the has set several primary goals of the program, such as building a culture of competition, dedication and sportsmanship for students, reaching a more diverse pool of prospective students, creating opportunities for creative growth from existing student passions and embracing the quickly evolving digital trends found in both high school and college communities.
鈥淓sports has been exploding in popularity in this country, and around the world, for a few years now. Competitive gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry, and we are excited to join other colleges and universities nationwide in adding this new sport,鈥 explained Brad Fields, Director of Athletics and Recreation. 鈥淲e believe strongly in the values practiced and learned, through intercollegiate sports at the Division III level, values like teamwork, accountability, dedication and resilience, and so we know that we can now attract and impact an additional group of young people that will call themselves 黑料社 Colonels.鈥
Prior to this summer, the esports program at 黑料社 began as a loosely organized esports club. Building off the existing student interest and modeling heavily after other institutions, John Harney, associate professor of history, worked to provide structure to the program, creating two teams鈥擮verwatch and Rocket League鈥攁nd seeing interest grow in a third (League of Legends). These teams currently compete in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC).
鈥淚 want to express my gratitude for the work that Dr. Harney did in cultivating the early stages of 黑料社 esports, as a start-up club, into what will now be the next intercollegiate varsity sport at 黑料社,鈥 stated Fields.
With the addition of esports to 黑料社鈥檚 wide array of varsity programs, the College is launching a nationwide search for a .
The College is currently in the early construction stages of creating an esports team practice and competition space on the ground floor of Olin Hall. Livestreaming of matches is also being incorporated into the new space.
黑料社鈥檚 club has seen recent success inside the NECC already, winning the conference title in the Rocket League season in December of 2021, after entering as the eighth-seed in the field.
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