Lambton College is excited to announce it will be launching an official eSports initiative for September 2017.
Plans for an eSports Arena on campus are also being developed, school officials stated.
The dedicated on-site gaming space will be one of the first of its kind at a Canadian College and will feature 20 high-end gaming computers for both varsity competition and recreational enjoyment.
Eventually, the College plans to make the space available for public bookings.
The new Lambton Lions varsity eSports team will compete with other post-secondary eSports teams across North America in the Collegiate Starleague.
“Lambton College has always had a keen eye for industry trends, and we’ve been following the rapid growth of competitive gaming globally. The introduction of eSports into the student life component of our College was a natural progression for us,” Rob Kardas, Vice President, Student Success & Campus Service at Lambton College, said in a press release.
“We anticipate having varsity eSports opportunities available for our students for September 2017, which will allow us to provide a wider range of extracurricular activities and the opportunity to compete in a team environment.”
In addition to the team aspect, Kardas says varsity eSports parallel traditional college sports in many ways including the need for team communication and tactical strategy.
Like other student athletes, members of the varsity eSports team will need to adhere to college athletics policies in order to be eligible to compete.
College officials have been researching and reaching out to U.S. schools where eSports have been successfully integrated into Athletics programs, including the University of California Irvine and Chicago’s Robert Morris University.
Discussions surrounding program development are also underway.
“The competitive video game scene has grown exponentially in recent years. As part of our eSports integration, Lambton College is currently exploring academic programming opportunities that will support the need for skilled professionals in this expanding industry,” Donna Church, Vice President, Academic at Lambton College, said in a press release.
The new eSports team will specialize in PC gaming, with a focus on multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), fantasy, role-playing, adventure, puzzle, real-time strategy, and combat-style games.
Details of the team and the on-site arena are still being finalized, however, those interested in getting involved can email esports@lambtoncollege.ca with any questions or submit an application online at lclions.ca/sports/esports.
Representatives from Lambton College will also be available to discuss eSports at Spring Open House on Saturday, April 1 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
For more information on Open House and a full listing of the day’s events, please go to lambtoncollege.ca/openhouse.
