There is a new varsity team coming to North Central University in fall 2022: eSports.
Through the North Central Rams Varsity eSports team, students have the opportunity to play video games competitively with teams across the country.
NCU’s varsity eSports team is the first of its kind in the Twin Cities, offering student athletes the chance to engage in competitive online gaming* while also earning a degree. Student athletes will have a coach and the opportunity to apply for scholarships.
The first college eSports program in the nation was launched in 2014. Since then, more than 200 colleges have added eSports program to their varsity sports offerings. While the growth is significant, it is still a small representation when considering the thousands of colleges and universities across the country. Being an early entrant into the eSports arena in Minnesota is a key factor in North Central’s decision to launch a program at this time.
A good fit for the mission
Before starting the program, Athletic Director Michael Knipe ’18 and his staff did extensive research and concluded that eSports could flourish at North Central. “We see eSports as a fit with North Central’s mission,” Knipe said. He pointed out that NCU’s focus on creating Christian leaders means that students who are active in this activity that is predominant in youth culture will now have a place to combine their faith with their love of gaming.
Launching the program with a state-of-the-art gaming arena and embedding a strong work ethic in the new student athletes will be key to the program’s success, according to Knipe. “By offering a structure and framework for gaming in the context of the academic experience,” Knipe explained, “we will be able to help eSports athletes to develop holistically. Time spent gaming will be structured and balanced with the same accountability we provide for all student athletes, such as weekly grade checks, team spiritual activities, and connections with coaches.” Athletes in the eSports program will receive coaching and instruction in nutrition, health habits such as sleep, and how these factors contribute to mental agility.
Vice President of Academic Affairs Jason Wenschlag, Ed.D., sees several ways Christian liberal arts education can support students who engage in online gaming. “A career in electronic gaming can develop in many ways, beyond playing and competing for prizes,” Wenschlag said. “Students may participate on the marketing side, maybe through computer science and programming, or as an entrepreneur or operations specialist. Regardless of the role, as with any vocation, a Christian liberal arts education can provide those in the electronic gaming industry with the knowledge, wisdom, and faith formation needed to maximize their talents and do great work, love and serve people well, and reflect God’s character in all they do.”
Blazing a new trail
Wenschlag and Knipe are both enthusiastic about the opportunities eSports will provide for the incoming students and for the university. “For those in the program, eSports represents a unique opportunity to blaze a trail and be the first collegiate varsity eSports team in the Twin Cities,” Wenschlag said, “with a chance to compete immediately with colleges and universities from around the country.” The students will practice and compete in a state-of-the-art arena designed for eSports, Wenschlag pointed out. “Perhaps most importantly,” he said, “eSports athletes will get a chance to practice and compete in something they are absolutely passionate about, like any other student who pursues a major or extracurricular activity.”
North Central’s eSports launch has already captured attention from churches and teams locally and nationally, paving the way for potential partnerships, including a megachurch in North Carolina. According to Knipe, the church, which has an established eSports program, reached out to NCU after learning about the new eSports program. The collaboration has great potential for helping with recruitment and providing expanded opportunities for both programs.
Knipe’s team is having conversations with high schools that offer eSports. All students recruited to NCU to be part of the eSports program will have the same admissions process and requirements as other students. Students will be able to participate in the on-campus program or remotely if they are enrolled in a fully online academic program. In contrast to other sports, the eSports program is unique because it is not limited geographically and there are no age limits or team-size limits.
The new program also provides opportunities to serve North Central’s urban community. Knipe said the Rams Athletics staff is working with a local coach to possibly develop an after-school program that would allow students from city high schools to use the gaming arena and receive tutoring assistance for their homework from NCU students.
Enormous potential
North Central is not currently part of a specific league but is in the process of joining the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of member institutions.
As the fastest-growing high school sport in the country, eSports has enormous potential at the collegiate level. “We want to be the first faith-based institution in the Twin Cities to offer this opportunity to students,” Knipe said. “We can offer something to our student athletes who are passionate about Jesus and passionate about growing in their purpose.”
“I have always been excited about any opportunity that allows more students to express and develop the gifts, talents, and dreams that God has blessed them with,” Wenschlag noted. “Wins and losses matter and any type of special recognition or visibility are great. But if eSports can change the trajectory and life of one student, that is what excites me the most.”
* The term “gaming,” as referenced in conjunction with North Central’s eSports program, refers to video games that are played in a highly organized competitive environment and does not involve gambling of any kind. Source:
Learn more:
NCU eSports program
Introducing eSports at North Central University [link to Mike’s video]
NACE
The rise of collegiate esports programs
