Centre launches varsity esports program
Centre College is expanding its varsity athletic offerings for the 2022-23 school year, transitioning the campus’ esports program into a varsity intercollegiate sport. Now the 25th varsity sport at Centre, the new program will recruit, train and compete at both the regional and national levels.
Well-positioned to meet rising student demand, the athletic department 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.
“Esports 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,” explained Brad Fields, Director of Athletics and Recreation. “We 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 Centre Colonels.”
Prior to this summer, the esports program at Centre 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—Overwatch and Rocket League—and seeing interest grow in a third (League of Legends). These teams currently compete in the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC).
“I want to express my gratitude for the work that Dr. Harney did in cultivating the early stages of Centre esports, as a start-up club, into what will now be the next intercollegiate varsity sport at Centre,” stated Fields.
With the addition of esports to Centre’s wide array of varsity programs, the College is launching a nationwide search for a full-time Director of Esports/Head Coach.
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.
Centre’s 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.
Learn more at centrecolonels.com.
