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MAC Esports began competitive gaming this spring. The program is off to a strong start with one team ranked nationally by NJCAAE and the others on pace to make a post-season appearance.
Mineral Area College joined the fast-growing world of Esports when its newly-formed program began competing this spring. The inaugural season has gotten off to a strong start, with one team ranked nationally and the others on pace to make a post-season appearance.
Head Coach Chris Visnovske explains Esports as competitive video gaming, most often in the form of organized, multiplayer competitions. An Esports program consists of several teams participating in specific game titles. Players usually focus on only one game but can play additional titles depending on skill and schedule. At the college level, matches are organized between different institutions within an association.
“As a member of the NJCAAE, the only national Esports association exclusively for two-year colleges, we are competing against teams from all over the country,” said Visnovske. “Since matches are streamed online, we aren’t limited by geographic location. Our Rocket League team recently had a match against Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, and we didn’t leave Park Hills.”
This spring, the MAC Esports team is competing in Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Call of Duty Warzone. Their overall success in such a short amount of time is impressive. The Rocket League team is currently undefeated and tied for first place overall in NJCAAE rankings. The Call of Duty Warzone team and both Smash Bros. teams are also doing well and are projected to make this season’s playoffs.
“The goal coming into this first season was to be able to compete, but all the players have exceeded expectations and are doing really well,” said Visnovske.
There is potential to expand to additional games such as Valorant, Madden, Overwatch, and Rainbow 6 in the future. To be eligible for the team, students must be enrolled full-time at MAC and have a 2.0-grade point average. They hold tryouts and have organized training sessions just like any other team.
The team practices and competes in the Esports room on MAC’s campus, which was funded through support from the Mineral Area College Foundation.
“We’re thankful to the Foundation for their help in getting the program started,” said Visnovske. “Their investment allowed us to put in 12 high-end gaming stations. Having a dedicated space to practice and play was important to establish the team, which ultimately is an enrollment initiative and will help the college attract and retain students. In the next year, we expect to double the size of our space, allowing even more students to participate.”
Students are eager to take part in collegiate competitive gaming. Many high schools in the state now have teams, and scholarships exist within the Esports field. Starting in the fall, MAC students will be eligible for scholarship funding, and many transfer schools are offering financial incentives for gamers as well.
MAC Rocket League player Ethan Forney started competitive gaming on North County’s Esports team and sees several benefits to the sport.
“Playing Esports has many extras that people don’t know about,” Forney said. “Not only do you get to play the games you like competitively, but it is also very helpful when it comes to keeping good grades, or just having fun when you need something to do.”
“Esports is a really exciting addition to our campus,” said Visnovske. “The gaming industry’s growth is phenomenal right now and giving MAC students a chance to be a part of that is something I’m proud to have a hand in. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this program.”
Prospective team members can learn more, complete an interest form, and connect with Visnovske at MineralArea.edu/esports. You can also follow the team on Twitch, YouTube and Facebook. For more information, email esports@MineralArea.edu.
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MAC Esports began competitive gaming this spring. The program is off to a strong start with one team ranked nationally by NJCAAE and the others on pace to make a post-season appearance.
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