Esports Team

Gaming Gladiators Esports Team Finds Success on the Virtual Battlefield

Jackson Bird and Noah Flick compete in Overwatch.

By Lauren Matthews

In Fall 2019, Snow College’s varsity-level esports program made Utah history. It was the first esports program in Utah to be directed by an athletics department. In fact, this integration is an “innovative and historic partnership between athletics, academic affairs, and student affairs,” said Jason Springer, dean of students and co-founding esports associate head coach.

In the age of COVID-19, traditional college sports have taken a hit. Empty basketball courts and football stadiums bring to mind the mournful barrenness of the Colosseum. Yet in its first year of competitive esports in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCA AE), Snow College has skyrocketed through the rankings. When the NJCA A canceled all Spring 2020 athletic competitions, the esports division was the only division still allowed to compete. “With the blessing of the administration and increased hygiene protocols, physical distancing between players, and in most cases, playing from home, we continued through the spring season,” said Landon Peterson, director of advising and head coach of esports.

Snow College esports won the 2020 FIFA Championship, thanks to players Valentin Fernandez and tournament winner Gaspar Vedoya. The Rocket League team (players Chris Holbrook, Aiden Anderson, and Jarod Stirling) took second place in their 2020 tournament.

Excitingly, even in the program’s first semester (Fall 2019), the wins were record setting. Springer said of those wins, “Snow College has established itself as a national leader, placing in the Top 4 in each of the in-season games. No other college in the NJCA AE can claim Top 4 national finishes in all three in-season games.”

In esports, gamers play video games competitively; in varsity competitions, teams representing a college contend with teams from other colleges. In the 2019-20 season, the Snow College team grew to over 40 players, and they competitively played Overwatch, FIFA ‘20, Madden ‘19, Rocket

Open tryouts were held for the esports team.

League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and League of Legends.

The student esports experience has been overwhelmingly positive. Stirling, a Snow esports Rocket League player, said: “Esports has… bettered my experience at Snow College because it gave me a way to feel more part of the school, especially when the school was shut down because of COVID-19…. I made friends with similar interests that I otherwise wouldn’t have made. As my team for Rocket League took second place [in the NJCA AE competition], I feel proud to be a Badger!”

The Spirit of Snow thrives in these esports programs, with community, camaraderie, and cooperation. McCauley Conder, a Snow esports Overwatch player, calls the experience “life-changing.” She added: “I have met many friends through playing on this team. Most of us are far away from our families and being able to have teammates to turn to was very helpful and pleasant. Early on in the spring semester, I fractured my ankle. This made getting to and from practice and classes a nightmare. Luckily, I had my teammates. They offered me rides, food, and just overall support when I needed it.”

Esports & the Video Game Industry

The esports program is perfectly poised for the video game industry’s growing market. In 2018, Forbes found the global revenue for the video game industry to be $138.7 billion, and GlobalData believes that by 2025, its global revenue could reach $300 billion. To put this in perspective, global revenue in 2019 for global theatrical box office was $42.2 billion, and home/mobile entertainment (content released digitally or on disc) was $58.8 billion (2019 THEME Report, Motion Picture Association). So despite Mr. Incredible, Harry Potter, and every Avenger and Disney princess, the film industry bows to the almighty dollar of games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War.

Video games (PC, mobile, or console platforms) are now so highly accessible and popular that Newzoo reports a global total of 2.47 billion gamers (the author of this article included). In a study of German gamers, Nico Consulting found that access to devices like handhelds and smartphones means that gamers can now be found in every major age demographic. But even aside from playing, watching the best gamers compete in esports draws eyes.

On platforms like Twitch (a platform for esports tournaments) and YouTube, streaming esports matches have flourished. Worldwide, viewership for esports has skyrocketed: 100 million viewers watched the League of Legends World Championship in China.

Collegiate Esports

Although the video game industry is both fast growing and immensely profitable, college esports also builds academic reputation. The NJCA AE currently has 43 two-year institutions as members that offer officially recognized varsity esports programs. Countrywide, scholarships and interdisciplinary academic curriculum surrounding video game development are advancing. For the talented gamer, varsity esports is the perfect place to explore academic offerings – including future job opportunities. Plus, the video game industry (and esports) is only destined to grow. Carlos Morillo, a Snow esports Overwatch player, said: “Personally, I feel like esports is the next biggest thing; there are people making as much money as professional athletes, just by playing games such as Overwatch, Call of Duty, and Rainbow 6 Siege.”

Nick Hansen, a Snow esports League of Legends player, added, “I know that esports is a new concept for a lot of people, but I believe that there is a good place for it in the future, and I’m thankful that Snow College took the chance and decided to fund a program for it.”

But beyond the opportunities sitting on the horizon, there is the love of the game. Both Springer and Peterson are longtime gamers. Springer’s love of gaming started with an “Atari 400 and a game called Dig Dug,” while Peterson’s early game playing featured Mario's archenemy, Bowser. Alongside Rob Nielson, assistant to the president/ athletics and auxiliary services, they will continue to shape and develop the esports program at Snow. And who knows? In the near future, you might replace those baseball jerseys with gaming swag, and your Netflix subscription with a Twitch account. The stadiums right now might be empty, but in gaming, gladiators still fight.