E-sports is coming to St. Clair County Community College. E-Sports, short for “electronic sports” is competitive gaming between individuals or teams. Last month, the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) announced that they are creating a new association that will be the governing body for two-year collegiate e-sports programs. SC4 Athletic Director, Dale Vos said they plan to start the program at SC4 in January 2020, and that the college has already been contacted by an individual that wants to coach along with a few player inquiries as well. SC4 is among 50 of 520 NJCAA schools that will be fielding a team.
According to Vos, the great thing about e-sports is that there is no traveling to compete against other schools.” Each school competes from the confines of their own campus in a four on four competition. Voss said, “The Esports industry is growing at a rapid pace, and fielding a team allows SC4 to lead the way in providing innovative and in-demand opportunities for current and future students as well as the broader community.”
The games that will be played in the new sport include Rocket League, Madden Fall 2019, and Super Smash Bros. The games are played using a personal computer, PS4, or Nintendo Switch. E-sports brings the total collegiate teams at SC4 to 14.
