Esports, the evolution of competitive video gaming, has found huge success and an avid fan base at Farmingdale State College.
With 150 members and 15 teams, the Esports program is the most popular activity on campus. Not only are members having fun, they are learning valuable, employable skills, which many companies covet.
“It’s such an up-and-coming field; you learn teamwork skills, collaboration, and leadership skills, all transferable to the workplace,” said Ashley Perrone, an applied learning counselor at the Nexus Center. “The experience is starting to show up prominently on resumes.”
College officials are using the Esports club as a recruitment incentive. The goal is for FSC to become one of the top programs in the region and a top school choice for gamers.
The success of the Esports team has begun attracting sponsors. Working closely with the Farmingdale Foundation, the team recently secured its first sponsor, G Fuel, a local energy drink based in West Babylon, New York, which became The Official Energy Drink of Esports®.
Proficient Esports players are attractive to employers. Gamers can work and interact with others remotely, and have a high level of technical knowledge. “Esports brings teamwork to the workforce,” noted FSC’s Assistant Recreation Director Rodolfo
Chacon, Jr. '17, a gamer who is pursuing his master’s degree in college athletic administration.
Overall, the Rams have an impressive record: they are back-to-back East Coast Conference Esports champions and have won six conference titles. The club draws students of all different ages and backgrounds. About half of the participants are women, shattering another stereotype. Among the games in which the club competes are Call of Duty, Valorant, League of Legends, Halo, Fortnight, and Super Smash Brothers.
In May, the Rams' Valorant team competed in the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC). Even though the Rams were ranked 13th, they made a powerful showing against some of the top teams in the country. The Rams lost to the number 5 ranked Rutgers University in overtime and managed to tie the University of Houston, the number 2 seed.
“It’s a growing program and the College recognizes the value,” according to Shaun Fean, Director of Campus Recreation. “They see what Esports can bring.”
Unlike most activities on campus and elsewhere that were forced to shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Esports thrived. Viewership of live-streamed competitions shot up during lockdown, generating a whole new group of fans for the Rams. The students also have live-streamed events to raise money for charities.
Share This
