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Fortnite, League of Legends, Rocket League: Olds College enters Esports arena

Oct 1, 2022 | 10:47 AM

Olds College is entering the Esports arena.

Announced this week, the Olds College Broncos officially have a new varsity esports program, part of its overall athletics program. It will begin competition during the 2022/23 winter term.

According to the college, esport student athletes will compete out of the new esports lab in the Bell E-Learning Centre, which features 12 Dell XPS8940 computers and Alienware peripherals. League affiliation and schedule details are being confirmed; however, the program’s initial titles will be Fortnite, League of Legends, and Rocket League.

“It’s amazing to see just how esports have taken off at the collegiate level over the last few years,” comments Geordie Carragher, Esports Program Coordinator, Broncos Athletics, Olds College. “It’s a discipline that’s earned more respect as an inclusive activity in the post-secondary landscape, and I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates in Olds.”

Among its ACAC contemporaries, the college notes, the Broncos join Keyano College, SAIT, and Lethbridge College as institutions with esports programs.

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“At Olds College, we pride ourselves on innovation, and the emergence of esports at the varsity level allows Olds College and Broncos Athletics to align some of our core Agriculture Technology programming and Sport Management students with a competitive varsity experience that will be extremely unique,” said Trina Radcliffe, Athletics Manager at Olds College.

“Geordie will have the opportunity to break new ground on a program focused on recruitment, education and community engagement in the world of esports, and we look forward to seeing it grow.”

Meantime, the Broncos are also working with Esport Canada, a not-for-profit organization which supports the Canadian esports landscape by providing community, competition, and resources, to help the program become fully operational.

“Olds College of Agriculture and Technology welcomes diverse students into a variety of established and new programs,” said Peter Mal, Associate Vice President, Students and Registrar at Olds College of Agriculture and Technology. “It is great to see this diversity also extended to the competitive recreation opportunities that are available to students.”

Alongside the varsity esports program, the Broncos are also exploring options for youth programming, community gaming nights, and other initiatives to generate interest and awareness of esports.