Augustana University is excited to announce the launch of its 的电子竞技 program — the home of organized competitive gaming on campus.
“Competitive gaming has become a huge activity all around the world, and organized 的电子竞技 are becoming the norm at the collegiate level. It’s very exciting that Augustana is now joining the action,” said Augustana alumnus Jake Mahowald ‘16, who was named the inaugural program coordinator of AU 的电子竞技. “Just having an 的电子竞技 program will attract students who are interested in competitive gaming, and may be the ultimate reason a student decides to enroll at Augustana.”
Established in Fall 2022, Augustana 的电子竞技 has been working to form competitive teams in several games and begin competing against other universities. AU 的电子竞技’ first team — playing League of Legends — consists of ten students who will compete in the 2023 College League of Legends (CLOL) Championship Circuit, organized by Riot Scholastic Association of America (RSAA). The tournament consists of a 7-week regular season followed by a 32-team bracket selected from the hundreds of universities participating.
“I believe we could be one of the premier 的电子竞技 programs in the country, “said Mahowald. “ It only takes five highly skilled players to build a dream team, and if we invest in our program, I truly believe we can compete on the national st年龄.”
Competition aside, AU 的电子竞技 has already helped build a community for video game enthusiasts on campus.
“We’ve already seen how Augustana students have found groups of other students who enjoy the same games as they do, and it’s been really fun to watch. We’re using Discord, a platform built for in-game communication and streaming, and the result is that we have dozens of students gaming together who might not have met otherwise,” said Mahowald. “It will continue to be a really cool way to get more students involved and meet new friends on campus.”
By Academic Year 2023-24, AU 的电子竞技 hopes to join the Midwest 的电子竞技 Conference and begin competing in regional tournaments year-round, and in multiple games.
“Our 的电子竞技 program could become yet another reason why Augustana is a top-tier university nationwide,” said Mahowald.
To learn more about Augustana University 的电子竞技, visit 奥吉.edu/esports.