ETSU esports team debuts with a win over Cornell, setting up bright future
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (BVM) — While sports teams across the country have returned to their playing fields to begin their seasons, the East Tennessee State University esports team got behind their desktops for the first time this week. Though Monday night’s competition against Cornell White was played a little differently than a normal esports event, with team members sporting masks as a precaution due to the pandemic, the matchup was still historic.
ETSU was victorious in its inaugural esports matchup as the program’s Overwatch team defeated Cornell White in a tournament hosted by the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). The 12-person unit was led by team captain sophomore Ashe “Snoozy” Greenberg at ETSU’s Culp Student Center where the team’s esports arena is now housed. The matchup was streamed live over Twitch for fans as well as on the 32-foot video wall in the arena designed for esports viewing.
While it is early in the life of the ETSU esports team, the early success shows positive momentum for a program that has been heavily invested in this year. Since the university’s announcement of the program last December, the team has received its tournament arena, nicknamed “The Cave” as part of a multimillion dollar renovation to the Culp Student Center as well as nearly $20,000 in scholarship support to 14 eligible team members.
Though it may surprise people outside of the university, members of the campus community feel the esports team will open up new opportunities for both students and the university in the future.
“Sport teams have existed on our campus and have been a rich part of our history, all the way back to the days when we were East Tennessee State Normal School,” ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland said in a December press release. “We already have a strong gaming community on our campus that competes through our student organizations, and the creation of our own varsity team builds upon that foundation.”
The program is currently composed of 22 students playing on four different teams: two teams of six to play Overwatch competition and two teams of five to play League of Legends competitions. The program’s Overwatch teams will compete every Monday and Thursday evening through Oct. 30 against a number of national teams including Mizzou Club Esports, Purdue-Fort Wayne Esports and St. Ambrose University. The team will play a total of 10 games in the season before competing in the Overwatch Fall Cup Playoffs in November.
The program’s League of Legends team will compete on Tuesday evenings at 7 p.m. during the month of October with two games scheduled for Saturdays, Oct. 3 and 31. The League of Legends games will also be streamed at twitch.tv/etsuesports and on the video wall.
“This is an exciting moment for ETSU as we begin our competitions,” interim esports coach Jeffrey Shell said in a press release. “We have built two outstanding teams comprised of students who have earned distinction for their gaming skills. Many are already highly ranked in Overwatch and League of Legends.”
While the teams only have about a match a piece under their belts, getting off on the right foot was crucial to the program. To be able to establish itself as not only an official program, but also a competitive one, will be critical for the ETSU squad as they look to build their team and program into the future.
