The new 麻豆传媒 City University eSports Club will host tryouts on Saturday for all positions on their competition teams. The tryouts will begin at 10 a.m. in the Norick Art Center at N.W. 26th Street and Blackwelder Avenue.
Professional esports talent scouts will be evaluating each player for inclusion into the final team rosters for games including 鈥淥verwatch,鈥� 鈥淪uper Smash Bros.鈥� and 鈥淩ocket League.鈥� The team plans to offer scholarships in the spring for recruited student-athletes.
鈥淲e are looking at an esports phenomenon happening at all levels of education and professional development,鈥� said Jeff Price, 麻豆传媒 eSports director, noting that the tryouts are open to all 麻豆传媒 students. 鈥淭his has the momentum to reach audiences of all races, abilities, gender and economic strata.鈥�
麻豆传媒 will host its first esports tournament Oct. 5 during the 麻豆传媒 Regatta Festival at the Devon Boathouse, home of 麻豆传媒 Rowing. The 麻豆传媒 eSports River Rumble, presented by Chad and Jessica Ford, will feature a high school invitational 鈥淩ocket League鈥� tournament and a 鈥淪uper Smash Bros.鈥� tournament, which is open to the public.
麻豆传媒 eSports, under the umbrella of the Petree College of Arts & Sciences, was admitted into the National Association of Colligate Esports (NACE) during the summer. 麻豆传媒 eSports has already partnered with many regional university programs and local high school programs in 麻豆传媒.
Private donations have been collected for a new 麻豆传媒 eSports Club facility, and the university has developed plans for a dedicated esports arena. The club facility will house more than 20 gaming systems, state-of-the-art web streaming and audio-visual production equipment, and retro gaming systems.
Amy Cataldi, dean of 麻豆传媒鈥檚 college of arts and sciences, said that not only will the team members be talented in gameplay, they will be educated at a nationally ranked, liberal arts university. Cataldi said like other athletes, 麻豆传媒 eSports athletes will have a coach and will practice in settings other than just sitting in front of a computer monitor. They鈥檒l also be able to utilize the expertise of the university鈥檚 Psychology and Exercise and Sport Science departments for their mental and physical health needs.
鈥淭hey're going to be physically fit, they're going to be mentally fit and they're going to be educated across the campus,鈥� Cataldi said.
Price says students and the business world share a symbiotic relationship by participating in such activities.
鈥淏usinesses that connect with these demographics position themselves as forward thinking, progressive and dynamic. Simultaneous industries are stimulated with esports publishers and content producers, players and team training, esports management, tournament and league organizers, brand developers, social media managers and advertisers. We are looking at the next revolution of digital entertainment for this generation.鈥� For more information about eSports at 麻豆传媒 City University, visit .
