MCLA Adds ESports to Athletics Department

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts is launching a Varsity Esports Program. MCLA Esports will compete at the collegiate conference and national level starting with the Spring 2024 semester. The team will be directed and coached by Justin MacDowell, who has over 20 years of experience in online team-based video games.

According to TechTerms.com, "Esports (pronounced "e-sports") is a general term used to describe video game competitions. Much like athletic sporting events, Esports games are often played before live audiences and may also be broadcast over the Internet." Esports are a competitive, team-based approach to video games. Teams of three to six players will work together to outmaneuver their opponent. The rising popularity of Esports has also led to the increasing popularity of streaming Esports events on platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, Facebook Gaming, and Discord.

MCLA will begin play with Valorant, which describes itself as a 5v5 character-based tactical shooter that was first released to the public in 2020. The game is offered for free download from the developer Riot Games' website. The fact that the game is a free download means that the threshold to begin play is low for most gamers, which is reflected in the sheer number of players the game sees daily.

Other games that MCLA could look to compete in down the line include League of Legends, Rocket League, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and Counter-Strike 2.

"Getting the word out about the Esports program to both our current and prospective students has been an ongoing process. We are seeing the number of players coming in to enjoy time playing on our esports-grade machines increasing every day, as well as membership in our MCLA Esports Discord server." said Justin MacDowell, Head Coach of MCLA Esports. "We have an incredible arsenal of eight esports-grade Alienware PCs on a dedicated server, so we never miss a frame of action."

A Forbes article from 2020 noted "that students who are interested in Esports have a higher tendency to be academic achievers and interested in high-paying, STEM fields valued by employers. Michael Sherman, Riot Games' director of collegiate Esports, told SportTechie that 62% of the players on collegiate League of Legends teams in 2018 were STEM majors."

"MCLA Athletics is excited to add Esports as a new varsity program on campus," said Director of Athletics Laura Mooney. "The elevation of this program makes us more attractive to prospective students who want to compete in online gaming at the next level and provides a great opportunity for our current students to get involved and connect with peers. I am excited to watch our new Trailblazers compete in the arena and am confident Justin will build a successful Esports program."

Students interested in being recruited to MCLA Esports or have questions should email justin.macdowell@mcla.edu. Please include your contact details, the game to which you would like to be recruited, and your qualifications, such as Rank, Competitive Experience, and References. You can also reach out to the Esports program here.

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