East Tennessee State University’s esports varsity program will soon add a new team.
Plans were announced this week to launch a Rocket League esports team, bringing the university’s number of esports programs to three. Last year, ETSU began recruiting for its Overwatch and League of Legends teams. Esports head coach Jeff Shell said the search has already begun for the six students who will comprise the inaugural Rocket League team.
“Rocket League was already one of the most popular games available prior to last September when it became available for free to play,” Shell said.
“The popularity of that game has risen tenfold. In addition to growing our fan base, the presence of our Rocket League team will be a major recruiting draw for ETSU. There has been a lot of interest in Rocket League from prospective team members, including some who are nationally ranked,” Shell said.
ETSU’s Overwatch team enjoyed a highly successful inaugural season, finishing 8-1 in its group and earning a spot in the National Association of Collegiate Esports playoffs where the team reached the final 16. This spring, Overwatch will continue competing in the New England Collegiate Conference.
The League of Legends team spent the fall in pre-tournament gaming and just started its official season on Saturday.
To learn more about the program, or for more information about tryouts, email Shell at shellja@etsu.edu.
