Campus News

Rockford University will be one of the first colleges in the area to offer a competitive eSports team beginning with the start of the 2019-2020 academic year. According to NCSA (Next College Student Athlete) there are currently only 12 colleges and Universities in Illinois offering eSports teams.

To support the new team, a dedicated eSports arena will be located in the center of the Burpee Student Center.  The arena will feature 16 dedicated gaming consoles powered by popular and well-known gaming system company MSI.

According to Vice President for Student Life, Dr. Randy Worden, “Completive eSports gaming is growing exponentially in our region and the across the country.  Many area high-schools have teams and the local school district is considering the creation of a joint gaming center where their students can train and compete.  Prospective and current students have shown substantial interest in being able to compete at the collegiate level. We’re incredibly excited to add eSports to our campus and provide yet another way for students to have access to diverse opportunities that enhance their overall collegiate experience.”

Rockford University plans to establish and maintain collegiate level competitive teams across a variety of games. eSports at Rockford University will compete initially in the CS Starleague. This is the premier platform for collegiate level League of Legends competition. As the program continues grow, the University is committed to developing additional teams for other competitive eSports (i.e. Rocket League, Overwatch, Counter-Strike). eSports teams and players at Rockford University will have the opportunity to stream gameplay, compete inter-collegiately, and play against athletes from across the world, all under the official banner of the Rockford University eSports team.

For more information about eSports at Rockford University, contact eSports Coordinator Clay Duffy, 815-394-4287.