Milligan Esports team will be using PCs to play games such as Overwatch, League of Legends, and Starcraft. Commercial free use photo of esports gaming provided by Pexels.
Video games are a large part of Milligan campus life, whether that be friends jumping in on Fortnite squads together, or students taking a break from studying to play a little Xbox. The dynamic of campus gaming is going to change completely at the start of next semester with the addition of an esports team. An addition like this raises the question: “are we ready?”
The ball is already rolling for the esports program. A highly qualified coach, Micah Ridley, was hired in January, and the Hopwood Room in the basement of the Welshimer Library has been chosen to house the new program. The basement was chosen because it was underutilized, centrally-located and safe area suitable for hosting esports, according to Mark Fox, the Athletic Director.
Ridley is a Milligan alum. He attended the school from 2007 to 2011 and was part of the Milligan soccer team. While at Milligan, he earned a digital media degree with a coaching minor. Before accepting the job at Milligan, Ridley was at King University, where he jump started an esports program. The program at King will continue on without Ridley, having hired one of his volunteer coaches.
Coach Ridley picked up valuable experience in his time at King University. “I learned to stay open minded. I had my own ideas about recruiting and running a program that I realized didn’t always hold true. Especially with a new start-up program, it is important to get a well-rounded, similarly skilled team together. Although I want to go after the best player, I realize to build a successful program, I need the best team,” said Ridley.
“At first I had a hard time picturing the library basement as a location for esports, but once I went and looked at the room, I found it to have a lot potential,” said Riley. “It was bigger than I remember, and with a little paint and decorations, on top of the already adequate lighting, I think this room will be great for the team”. The room was once used as a study room, but will now be the headquarters for Ridley’s crew.
Although the Hopwood Room has potential, there is still some work that needs to be done. This work is scheduled to take place over the summer. The “Esports Room” or “Esports Arena,” a name that is still pending, will undergo renovations during summer break. Along with physical changes like paint and decorations, there will also be an I.T. side to the renovation. Gaming systems, which will all be PCs, need to be hardwired in to avoid issues with WIFI based gaming.
“We’re not going the WIFI route to avoid glitching and drops, especially considering that we will be in the library,” said Ridley.
The esports team is hoping to involve the whole student body. There will be a club aspect to the team in an attempt to make it accessible for everyone to enjoy. The team plans on hosting events in which all Milligan students are welcome to attend, according to Ridley. There will be Fortnite and Apex tournaments, along with other games, in which students will be competing for prizes. Milligan students will also be able to get involved through walk-on opportunities. There will be a varsity and developmental team, students are welcome to come try out and depending on skill level, might be placed in either team.
On top of the esports club, Coach Ridley encourages and hopes that students will attend the varsity matches. This can be done through the twitch app, which will allow students, friends, family and faculty to support the competitors. Twitch is an app that is already prominent on campus.
“I love the twitch app. I am able to watch my favorite fortnite streamers play everyday,” said Roberto Fernandez-Garrido, junior.
The last thing left to do before esports is up and running is recruiting. This is a process that is already in the works. According to Ridley, there is already recruitment interest from prospective students for the fall of 2019 and the fall of 2020.
“This is very exciting, because it has implications the program will be able to grow exponentially. As Milligan continues to get ready and progress in the process of recruiting and developing a solid program, recruits will follow,” said Ridley. This holds true for all new collegiate sporting programs when they are first starting out.
Another way in which the coach is able to reach out to recruits is through virtual Google Hangout chats. This is a way to reach recruits that may be far away successfully and easily. Despite the upside to the virtual chat method, Ridley prefers “boots on the ground” recruiting, in which he is able to meet face to face and build relationships with his prospective recruits.
Milligan is already ahead of the curve as esports is beginning trend for colleges nationwide. There are 73 collegiate varsity esports programs across the U.S., according to Espn.com. Unlike the other sports at Milligan, esports will not be an NAIA sanctioned team, but a NACE (National Association of Collegiate Esports) sanctioned team. According to Fox, the team is already successfully registered for next fall, and all requirements are in place on that side of the program.
Esports will add a whole new dynamic to Milligan’s campus. “It has the potential to grow enrollment and become a great thing on campus,” said Fox. “It will allow for students with different interests and perspectives to join our campus. I am excited to see how the students embrace the program.” This excitement, intrigue and curiosity is something shared by other facility members and students.
There are still a few things that need to be done before the anticipated launch of esports in the fall of 2019. That being said, the majority of tasks have already been completed or are in the process of being completed. Students can be assured that as they arrive back from summer break, there will be a functioning esports team on campus.