Florida Southern College (“FSC”) has become the latest United States based institution to join the National Association of Collegiate Esports (“NACE”).
NACE serves as the governing body for the world of esports in American colleges. Late last month NACE welcomed Harrisburg University of Science and Technology as its fiftieth member. By joining NACE, Florida Southern College expects to be the first school in Florida to join the association.
The esports program that will be put on will initially focus on League of Legends. The release states that officials expect to see a growing relationship between “FSC’s burgeoning Department of Computer Science and the eSports team”, stating that many students majoring in computer science are already well aware and well-versed in computer gaming.
FSC are designing a special arena with high end gaming rigs, wiring, monitors, headsets and ergonomic chairs for those set to compete in the new scheme. Additionally, the release states that there will be an area for spectators should they wish to watch teams compete.
The FSC program will sit as a club sport under the “Office of Student Development” with tournaments being scheduled for spring 2018, but the college has lofty aims. The ultimate aim for the program is to field a varsity team to transition to the Athletic Department by autumn 2018 as they wear the FSC Moccasins emblem and compete against other college teams.
The release states that more than 50 students have already expressed interest in participating in the program, and that a player called Garrett Bennett is already considered a top League player, sitting amongst the top 1% of players in the North American region.
“I am looking forward to this new adventure in the gaming world through eSports,” said Director of Athletics and Dean of Wellness Pete Meyer. “We anticipate building another successful team in our athletics program.”
Esports Insider says: More activity in the college system over in the States. The grassroots continues to gain momentum, with what we now note as 51 universities signed up to NACE. With the League of Legends system now becoming franchised, the traditional sports model applied across most big North American sports is starting to look directly applicable to esports. Best of luck to the FSC team as they look to become the best in the States.
