SHU Wins Overall in its Inaugural Connecticut Esports Showcase
Event brings exposure for SHU’s esports program
Sacred Heart University was the overall champion of the inaugural Connecticut Esports Showcase, which took place in mid-April. SHU tallied the most showcase points across four different games to take home the ultimate prize, and three other Connecticut universities won individual championships.
During the three-day virtual tournament, the state’s premier collegiate esports programs competed in four games: League of Legends, Call of Duty, Rocket League and Smash Ultimate. All the games were live-streamed with commentary over the platform Twitch and garnered more than 1,300 views.
In addition to SHU’s club esports team, other competitors represented Yale University, University of Connecticut, Southern Connecticut State University, Mitchell College, University of Hartford and Fairfield University. The tournament was an opportunity for the colleges to compete against each other and demonstrate the rapid growth of esports in the region.
Yale was the League of Legends champion, Southern Connecticut won Call of Duty, SHU took first place in Rocket League and the University of Hartford claimed the Smash Ultimate win. The teams played throughout the weekend in an elimination style tournament, with championship games played on the final day to declare the winners. There were prizes for individual performances and team achievements.
“The increased exposure for esports at SHU means a lot to both the academic program and our club esports team,” said Ray Mencio, director of SHU’s club sports. “The esports team has been successful since we started the program. This is another great moment in being the leader of collegiate esports in the Northeast.”
The inaugural tournament was produced by SHU faculty, alumni and graduate and undergraduate students and several esports interns. The co-directors of the academic program are Josh Shuart (Jack Welch College of Business & Technology) and Andrew Miller (School of Communication, Media & the Arts). Shuart said the showcase “was a prime example of the kind of experiential learning that is at the foundation of the new esports academic program.”
“This tournament was a culmination of a year of hard work by our students and faculty working in the new esports minor, and was a terrific way to launch the program,” Miller added.
Future plans include Connecticut’s first, in-person collegiate esports tournament next year.“I think the best part of the showcase was how it was entirely run by students,” said Raymond Niver, the program’s graduate assistant. “I did everything from marketing to live event production. The whole experience was extraordinarily hands on and gave me a deeper insight into what it's like to put on a wide-scale sporting event. I could not have asked for a better real-world experience.”
SHU’s esports academic program aims to prepare students for competitive jobs in the fast-growing esports industry, including event management, production, business development, league management and sponsorships. Students leverage strengths in communication and business as they complete their course of study, which concludes with the esports showcase, a capstone practicum experience. To learn more, visit the website.