By Alex Gilbert
College sports bring together students, faculty, and fans across the country as they support athletes competing in traditional games such as football, basketball, and soccer. Played out on the freshly cut turf fields, inside an arena on an ice rink, or on a primed hardwood gym court, athletes demonstrate their physical muscular strength, agility, and speed to win against their opponents. Now, as the age of technology brings computer games to new levels of popularity, video game players want in on the world of sports.
Electronic sports, known simply as esports, is the official name of the growing new sport that puts gamers in the spotlight to face off against other gamers in competition. In a typical esports match, two small teams of players, in a line of desktop computers, go head-to-head in popular online multiplayer games, visible to spectators on large projector screens.
Student Involvement and Golden Bear Athletics, here at Western New England University, are enthusiastic to lay the groundwork for starting an esports club, with the eventual goal of making it a varsity-level sport.
Jennifer Kolins, the director of athletics and recreation, said, “I’m really excited about the future of esports at Western New England University.” Kolins and Golden Bear Athletics are passionate about growing new athletic programs at WNE, recently adding a track and field program this spring. Kolins has been researching the benefits and potential of having a varsity-level esports team at the University, even attending an esports conference.
Kolins said, “I know the interest and passion that students have for esports, and I look forwards to seeing how it will evolve.” Kolins hopes to one day see Western New England University students competing in regional and national esports competitions once the program is up and running. As a unique sport, she said, “I think that it’s something that students can really excel in.”
The process of adding esports to WNE began last spring when brand new gaming desktop computers, monitors, and gaming chairs were installed at WNE’s Campus Center, replacing the previous location of the Commuter’s Lounge. The sleek blue and black color scheme, state-of-the-art technology, and signage for “WNE Esports” caught the attention of many students passing through the Campus Center.
As time passed by, the doors to the WNE Esports room remained unopened. One issue delaying the opening was the need for a new ventilation system to remedy the released heat from the computers. In addition, it was still unclear who would be in charge of the esports equipment.
Noticing students’ frustration with the closed esports room, Student Involvement pushed to fast-track the opening of the esports room before the end of the 2024-2025 academic year. Bridget Grim, director of Student Involvement and Leadership, said, “We really wanted to get it up and running because the computers have been sitting there for over a year now.”
Beginning April 7, the Esports Lounge unlocked its doors for open gaming hours, which occur periodically throughout the school week. The lounge is available from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. every weekday and additionally opens from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays.
In the Esports Lounge, during open gaming hours, students have access to Alienware gaming computers, which are equipped with headsets for audio, gaming chairs, and five downloadable games. After creating their own free accounts, students can log in and play Marvel Rivals, Rocket League, Overwatch, Fortnite, and Valorant on high-tech computers and large monitor screens.
Although students are enjoying the Esports Lounge, there is a long way to go to have a successful esports program at the University. Grim said, “The way that we’re looking at handling it right now is that we would move towards doing a club.” She continued, “We would get students who are interested in it and then develop it into a varsity-level esports team down the road.”
There isn’t currently a set timeline for when an esports club will be officially formed at the University, but Student Involvement has plans to reach out to interested students during the following academic school year. Esports will likely begin as a student-led club and transition into a varsity-level team sport once the foundation of the team is formed.
Se Jin Kim, a professor of sports management at Western New England University, was initially involved in the planning group for esports and teaches an Esports Management course.
In regards to managing a competitive college-level esports program, Kim said, “There needs to be a lot of manpower, resources, and people that can fix stuff if something is wrong.” A successful esports program requires more time and effort than just setting up the venue and the equipment. “If there’s nobody to control it and there are no proper student-athletes or student-players that are managing the venue,” Kim said, “then I think there will be more trouble than benefits.”
The future of esports at Western New England University looks bright, with the Esports Lounge available regularly for open gaming hours and plans to form an esports club team. Although there are a lot of steps to be completed, such as recruiting players and hiring experienced coaches and faculty, students can look forward to one day seeing video gamers become athletes at WNE.
