Esports at OSU competes in national video game tournament | OSU today

Video games have become more and more popular over the years and with it the face of gaming. Today, esports is recognized as a competitive sport at the collegiate and professional levels, and Oregon State University’s Esports at OSU club has a proven track record of competitive success.

On October 25, members of the Esports at OSU club will participate the third yearbook “Xfinity Run it Back.” The The Collegiate Esports Series is a cross-division tournament involving 10 schools from across the country. OSU won the competition last year and will return to defend its title. Three of their members will play the competitive video game Rocket Leaguean arcade-style soccer game played with cars.

Sunny Winchell, president of the Esports at OSU club, said the club has more than 400 members and is run entirely by students. It is one of the largest clubs on campus and emphasizes the inclusive nature of esports, including increasing the number of women and non-binary students in a field largely dominated by men.

Winchell said video games can be physically isolating because while players connect in the digital world, they often do so in the confines of their own rooms. The club allows players to share physical space for things like competitions and watch parties, and Winchell said that can make a big difference.

“We try to foster a sense of community and belonging, which can be very important when people are far from home,” Winchell said.

Winchell began her college career at Arizona State University, which has an esports program that is essentially the equivalent of other college sports like football and basketball. Unlike clubs, formal programs often offer things like physical space for meetings, scholarships, and other incentives that encourage participation. When Oregon native Winchell decided to transfer to Oregon State, she learned that esports was only supported as a club, but she dreams of one day making it a fully recognized program so it can receive more support .

“Hopefully esports will eventually be recognized as an athletic program on campus,” Winchell said. “It would help us get a facility and give us money to travel to different tournaments. If we stay at club level, we could miss out on good talent.”

Winchell says there are academic and professional benefits to participating in the club, in addition to social ones. As a business information technology student, serving as club president has given her the chance to engage with companies and network in the world of esports and has opened up leadership opportunities she would not have had otherwise. She said esports gives students the chance to develop their teamwork skills, take on leadership roles and learn a variety of other skills, including marketing and graphic design.

Winchell hopes watching esports will help dispel the notion that gamers are isolated and antisocial.

“I want people to know that we are more than just gamers, we are passionate, motivated students who want to do something important with their lives,” she said.

The Pacific Northwest region includes teams from the University of Washington, University of Oregon and OSU. Comcast sponsors the event, including paying for access, streaming via Twitch, space, prizes, food, organizing the tournament, and paying fees to game title companies for use of their games. The competition begins on October 25th at 12pm in Memorial Union Room 109 (open to the public) and will be broadcast live on Twitch. Recordings of the competition will also be made available after the event.

To follow esports at OSU, you can follow them on YouTube and Instagram.

~ Theresa Hogue