Heartland Community College adds Esports team for Fall 2020

 

[January 23, 2020] 

Heartland Community College will launch a varsity esports team beginning in the fall of 2020.

The Heartland Board of Trustees voted to approve the addition of a competitive online video gaming team during their meeting on January 21.

Heartland will compete as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), a nonprofit organization comprised of over 170 institutions. The Hawks Esports varsity team will consist of 12 students who will play “League of Legends” in competition with other NACE collegiate programs.

“Esports competitors are technology-savvy, adept at problem solving, and must understand how both creativity and teamwork lead to success,” said Skylar Guimond, Director of Student Engagement. “We’re excited add this cocurricular program as an option for students in our district looking to play esports at a competitive level.”

One of the most rapid-growing collegiate team activities, esports is offered by more than 600 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada.

“The Heartland Esports program will offer varsity-level competition with the same standards of accessibility, diversity and inclusion that are core to our College mission,” said Sarah Diel-Hunt, Vice President of Enrollment and Student Services. “Having Heartland represented in the growing world of online video gaming is another way we are building community on campus and throughout our district.”

Heartland will hire a dedicated, part-time coach for the Hawks Esports program during the Spring 2020 semester to begin recruiting esport athletes to compete in the Fall 2020-21 academic year.

[Steve Fast
Director, Public Information
Heartland Community College]