Madison College is adding Esports to its list of intercollegiate sports for the 2020-21 school year. The co-ed program will begin representing the WolfPack during the Fall 2020 semester. The program will compete in online competitions against other two-year college programs involved with National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE).

"Madison College Athletics is excited to add Esports as an intercollegiate offering," said Director of Athletics Steve Hauser. "We originally had plans to add Esports beginning with the 2021-22 school year, but with COVID-19 we decided now was the perfect time to start it. In addition to an official intercollegiate sport, we are also offering intramural and recreational gaming options. We look forward to engaging a number of Madison College students in this new endeavor."

Game Titles / Season
Esports is a rapidly growing competitive sport featuring multiplayer games on systems such as PC's, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Madison College Athletics Esports will have a contract with Generation E-Sports through the NJCAAE to offer games for our student-athletes to compete on at no charge to them.

Madison College will offer the following popular games in their first season of play:
Super Smash Brothers (Nintendo Switch), Overwatch (PC), Rocket League (PC), and Madden 21 (PlayStation 4).

Other games, such as Fortnite, FIFA 20, Valorant, Counter Strike - Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Rainbow Six Siege, and League of Legends may be offered in future seasons. 

Esports members will practice and compete weekly from September 21 through November 14, with postseason and championship competition running from November 15 to December 12. 

Eligibility / Team
Student-athletes must be enrolled with a full-time credit load (12 or more credits) at the college, and will be limited to six semesters of participation. The Esports team size will range from 10-25 per year. The student-athletes on the team will have access to the athletics academic advisor, will follow the student-athlete code of conduct, attend weekly practices and games, be involved with health and wellness activities, and receive team gear.

Prospective students that would like to register can do so here. Register now as the deadline is Friday, September 4.

Collaboration
The creation of the Madison College Esports program is a collaborative effort between the athletic department, the college's information technology (IT) department, and the IT associate degree academic program. We anticipate that the college's IT staff and faculty will help with the identification and recruitment of current and prospective student-athletes, while also helping with coaching, advising, and mentoring the Esports team. In turn, we anticipate Esports student-athletes will have opportunities for possible internships and employment opportunities within the college's IT department.

Intramurals (Student Life)
For intramurals, the college will offer several gaming tournaments and competitions throughout the year. Student Life will continue offering gaming spaces and consoles inside The Den for all Madison College students to utilize once those facilities are open. 

Governing Body
The National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), founded in 2019, is the only national Esports governing body exclusively for two-year colleges. The NJCAAE has more than 70 member schools and better than 1,000 players from all regions of the United States, and offers competitions in ten different games. The NJCAAE is made up of NJCAA leadership, strategic partnerships, and member administrators.

Register now to get involved in Madison College Esports - Signup Deadline - Friday, September 4

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