Oakland University adds varsity esports team

December 10, 2019 / Athletic Administration
Oakland University has become the first Division I university in the state of Michigan to formally announce the addition of a varsity esports team to its athletics program. The team will begin competition in the fall of 2020.

Photo courtesy of Oakland University

The university also announced a unique partnership with Team Renegades, a professional esports team based at GameTime in Auburn Hills. While new, and developing at the collegiate level, esports has grown exponentially among amateur and professional gamers around the world.

Oakland University strives to be entrepreneurial and open to new approaches to teaching, the student experience, and learning, including novel areas of exploration,” said OU President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz. “The popularity, learning potential and student engagement possibilities of esports places Oakland in the forefront of translating what can only be described as a phenomenon into a relevant educational context, including strengthening the relationship among emerging media and academic disciplines.”

   » ALSO SEE: The Rise of Esports: Competitive gaming grows in popularity

“We are very fortunate to have the support and mentorship of Team Renegades. Based at GameTime, the partnership with a professional esports team will provide support and expertise as the university launches its esports initiatives,” said Steve Waterfield, director of athletics for Oakland University. “Plus, the fact that GameTime is so close to our university is an added benefit.”

Like traditional sports, esports is a way for students to build school spirit and connect with fellow students. Having a varsity esports team provides players and viewers another venue to share their gaming passion. Oakland’s varsity esports teams will initially compete in three games: League of Legends, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. The team will likely include up to 12 athletes, open to male and female gamers.

The market analytics firm Newzoo estimated that esports had more than 380 million viewers in 2018. It predicts that global viewership will top 500 million in 2020. One significant factor is the development of collegiate gaming.

Learn more about the Oakland University esports program.


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