After wrapping up its first season with a conference championship, Transylvania University’s esports program heads into fall competition with a roster that has more than tripled in size.
The Pioneers, who won the National Association of Collegiate Esports Overwatch 2 Varsity Plus Division this past April, have returned with the same Overwatch 2 gamers minus one graduate. New teams added this year are competing in the video games Valorant, League of Legends and chess.
In growing beyond Overwatch 2, the esports program has increased from seven to 26 players.
“I’m excited to see the program expand as much as it has,” coach Dylan Osborne said. “Transy esports offers the opportunity for students to form a network with others that share similar interests and learn to accomplish team-based goals in high pressure scenarios.”
Matches will be streamed on Twitch.
Osborne noted the strength of this season’s players. The Overwatch 2 and Valorant teams both placed in a conference with teams that average a diamond ranking (one of the more formidable ratings). The League of Legends team is awaiting placement in a conference because registration is still open.
The other players are competing in the NACE Collegiate Chess League on Chess.com — in blitz mode, where they’re under time pressure to make a move.
In addition to encouraging teamwork and providing a fun way to get engaged in campus life, Transylvania esports teams teach gamers valuable skills they can draw from later on.
“The joy our players feel by being a part of a team is invaluable to me, but I also believe the coordination and critical thinking they have to apply to their in-game strategies are also teaching them social tactics they may carry into the workforce after graduating,” Osborne said.