eSports

eSports at Northeastern junior College

Joining a collegiate eSports team is an exciting new opportunity to compete and get noticed at a higher level. With the booming popularity of gaming, you could have the chance to become part of a growing and dedicated fan community. Similar to traditional sports, student athletes will not only have the support of their teammates in-game but also off-screen as we strive for victory together. Unlike other sports, teams compete from anywhere and don't have long travel times. We are driven by our passion for winning and competing in a positive atmosphere — come join us today!

What video games will we be playing?

The eSports industry has grown exponentially in recent years, attracting a wide range of gamers from all over the world. This golden age of gaming has birthed some of the biggest competitive gaming titles including League of Legends, Counter Strike Global Offensive, and Overwatch 2. But that doesn't mean that these are the only competitive games out there; Rocket League is yet another popular title in the competitive gaming space, and it's gaining ground quickly. The National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) has also taken note of this boom in popularity and created several collegiate tournaments for each game to help foster the growing community in a national association for member institutions. From amateurs to professionals, the world of eSports has something for everyone. For the full list of games we can compete in, please click the following link to the NJCAAE game titles.

Northeastern Junior College's debut eSport season.

The eSports program started in the Spring of 2023. Coaches Kade Roelle and Jason Ha led the open season teams through the season and qualified to join the competition for the national championships. In Rocket league the student athletes finished #5 out of 24 colleges in the nation, and in Overwatch 2 the student athletes finished #7 out of 35 college eSports teams. The coaches are very proud of the inaugural success of the eSports program while maintaining a high academic standard. 

“I was very impressed with the commitment and teamwork the players displayed in eSports this year. The hard work was evident as we placed within the top 7 in the Nation for both Rocket League and Overwatch! We are bringing back most of the squad next year but I am beyond excited to add more players in year 2 to bolster our teams.” – Kade Roelle, Coach

“The students did a wonderful job this year, both teams were able to make it to the great eight in the tournament! Esports has been fantastic, it has given the opportunity to students to enjoy a game with others in a competitive atmosphere.” – Jason Ha, Coach

What is next for the eSports program?

The coaches are excited to continue with the student athletes success with a varsity eSports team in the fall semester. If there are not enough varsity players, we will look at open season competitions.

• Registration for the eSports program opens July 2nd through August 31st.
• Preseason starts August 13th through September 16th to hone your playing video games skills.
• Regular season starts September 22nd and ends November 18th with a goal of ranking once again for the national championships.
• Playoffs begin November 27th with the champion eSports program named on December 9th.

Competition schedule

All matches will be played Monday through Friday with the exception of League of Legends which is played on Saturday. The matches can vary from 3pm to 7pm start times. For more scheduling information, please contact Kade Roelle (Kade.Roelle@njc.edu) or Jason Ha (Jason.Ha@njc.edu) as each game title can vary on start time. 

Spring 2024 Competition Results

Fortnite: Finished 2nd Overall

Overwatch 2: Finished 6th Overall

Call of Duty: Warzone 2: Finished 8th Overall

Rocket League: Finished 28th Overall

Valorant: Finished 32nd Overall

Enjoy the social environment

"The eSports Club has been an enjoyable experience that has opened a new objective to strive for. As it allowed me to get more involved with the other people in the college as well as gave some of my peers access to video games that they would not have normally had access to. The eSports team worked as a way for me to have a nice social environment to play games in that just playing at home couldn't achieve." - Robbie LeFevre, Overwatch 2 team member

Come join us!

If you're looking for something new and exciting to see if you can make a name for yourself, eSports may be the activity for you. You will be joining student athletes from around the nation in the varsity eSports teams from within the national association striving toward competing in the collegiate tournaments. Be a part of the emerging college varsity eSports programs and compete in our eSports arena.

Team Pictures