NICC brings competitive world of Esports to campus, student athletes to compete nationally
Friday, April 22, 2022
A dedicated practice and competition space will be located at the Calmar and Peosta campuses along with the hiring of two coaches.
NORTHEAST IOWA—Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC) is launching new intercollegiate Esports programs starting in fall 2022.
Student athletes will be members on different teams at the NICC Calmar and Peosta campuses, competing in the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) along with over 145 community colleges across the nation.
“Competitive video gaming is exploding in popularity and many colleges are adding competitive Esports programs,” said Northeast Iowa Community College Director of Student Life Kara Popp. “We believe Esports will be a great addition to the College and we're excited to offer more competitive opportunities for our students.”
New Esports programs at NICC will include men and women in video game competition with other institutions across the nation. Games may include League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, Super Smash Bros, Valorant, FIFA 2022, Hearthstone, NBA 2K22, Madden, CoD or similar games.
Students are excited for the opportunity to compete. “I’m super excited. It has always been a dream to bring competitive gaming to Northeast Iowa Community College,” said Wesley Miller, NICC Esports Club student chair. Miller also said Esports develops students’ team building, communication and collaboration skills.
A dedicated practice and competition space will be located at the Calmar and Peosta campuses along with the hiring of two coaches.
“Esports participants will be held to the same high standard as all other NICC Cougars student-athletes,” Popp added. Esports will join Sports Shooting as the current athletic teams NICC offers.
Recruitment is now underway for fall 2022 Esports and Sports Shooting. Scholarships are available. For more information, visit www.nicc.edu/athletics or call (844) 642-2338, ext. 2230. Students interested in joining the Esports team may complete the Recruit Me form.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL JUNIOR COLLEGE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION ESPORTS (NJCAAE): Founded in 2019, The NJCAAETM is the only national esports association exclusively for two-year colleges. The NJCAAETM is committed to increasing access to team dynamics, school representation and campus life for the benefit of student-athletes and member institutions alike. Esports participants and the NJCAAETM members benefit through meaningful, educational and transformative opportunities which lead to greater retention and completion rates for participants. With more than 125 schools from all regions of the United States after just five semesters of competition, the NJCAAETM continues to make inroads to be the association of choice for all two-year schools.
Tags: athletics, esports