SILOAM SPRINGS -- The John Brown University Department of Athletics announced today the addition of esports to the Golden Eagles athletics offerings, making it the 12th intercollegiate varsity sport.
Varsity esports are coming to John Brown University Athletics in Fall 2023! Learn more here: https://www.jbu.edu/news/press-releases/?id=91102245458
Posted by John Brown University on Wednesday, November 9, 2022
JBU will join 700 other institutions with teams playing in the National Association of Collegiate Esports and the National Esports Collegiate Conference. The varsity team is a natural extension of the athletics program after the continued popularity of the Esports Club, which began formally in the spring of 2021 and has more than 30 active members.
"Esports is exploding in popularity. More than 150 high schools in our state have sanctioned teams," said Robyn Daugherty, JBU director of athletics. "Research shows that 80-85 percent of these students don't participate in other extracurricular or athletic activities. Offering varsity esports allows us to support and engage these students in the wider JBU community."
JBU Esports will include multiple teams competing in games such as Rocket League, Overwatch, League of Legends, Super Smash Brothers and Chess. The Golden Eagles will join the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) for its national affiliation, and will compete in the National Esports Collegiate Conference at the conference level.
Scholarships are available, and recruiting is already underway. Start-up coordinator Kim Johnson, Ed.D., hopes to recruit a team of approximately 20 men and women for the 2023-24 academic year.
"I'm excited to take the esports program at JBU to the next level and create additional opportunities for student-athletes who want to represent the university while receiving an excellent education," Johnson noted. "We are thrilled about the new esports facility at Bynum Theater and look forward to its completion."
As part of its capital campaign, JBU is raising approximately $450,000 to convert and equip Bynum Theater, located in the Walton Lifetime Health Complex, into a practice and competition space for the team. The venue will include up to 20 competition-level computers, capacity for over 100 spectators and a broadcast booth for "shoutcasters" who provide game commentary.
JBU will continue to operate an Esports Club for students who enjoy competing but want to avoid making the time commitment for a varsity sport. Intramural tournaments are also offered during the school year and are open to all students.
About the National Association of Collegiate Esports
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of member institutions and is the largest association of college esports in North America. Together, NACE members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space. NACE colleges and universities collaborate to lay the groundwork in areas such as: eligibility, path to graduation, competition and scholarships. NACE represents the majority of varsity programs across North America.
About the National Esports Collegiate Conference
The National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) began as a way to provide the collegiate gaming community with the respect it deserved, and began sponsoring esports in the fall of 2020. The conference currently sponsors both regular season competition and championships across a wide variety of popular titles. The conference aims to serve the gaming community with respect and is proud to be a safe and inclusive environment. With more than 100 colleges and universities currently competing in the conference, the NECC strives to be a positive home for the collegiate gaming community and prides itself on responding to the needs of its schools, directors, coaches and most importantly - its players.
About John Brown University
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas' top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 48 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 undergraduate majors and 18 graduate programs.
Photo Renderings of Proposed Esports Arena in Bynum Theater
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