Bellevue University building on current success of esports program

BELLEVUE, Neb. — The current program has 25 participants. Castillo-Ferrin says they want to increase that number to 100 with multiple scholarship opportunities over the next couple of years.Castillio-Ferrin says it is a major goal of his to make sure his athletes know that the skills they are learning through the program are bigger than just becoming a professional esports athlete.”Those skills will help them in the future in any career that they may want to do. So, not only are we focusing on competitive play and being the best possible that we can be but we’re also looking at the other side of the esports in how we can go ahead and involve those individuals,” Castillo-Ferrin said.”Only the one percent will make it to the pros. I’m beyond happy that Mark was really able to hit that milestone, but what about everyone else,” Castillo-Ferrin said. “What kind of skills and opportunities can we give them to be successful after university.””The athletic department, the university itself, they might not fully understand what Esports is but they 100 percent support and they know it’s only growing. So, since the very beginning since its implantation, it’s been nothing but support, and with that, we’ve been able to build a very successful program ranked 8th in the nation in Overwatch 2,” the esports program head coach David Castillo-Ferrin said.Inside the “Bruin Bunker” is a gamers’ paradise. It’s where Bellevue’s esports competitors train for the national stage. “When looking at esports and the just amazing positives that it has, I think parents need to really look at it as a real pathway to going to college, to going professional or really allowing those students to do what they love,” Castillo-Ferrin said.
“I still feel like the whole experience behind that is still pretty surreal,” Kvashin said.
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Overwatch is one of the many games the Bruins compete in as part of the eight-year-old program. Castillo-Ferrin says esports present several opportunities for players, from competitive gaming to marketing, commentating, producing and streaming.Bellevue University wants to capitalize on the growing interest into esports. Some players are getting scholarships, while even making careers out of it. For the Bruins, this is just the beginning for one of the biggest esports programs in Nebraska. NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Bellevue University wants to capitalize on the growing interest into esports. Some players are getting scholarships, while even making careers out of it. For the Bruins, this is just the beginning for one of the biggest esports programs in Nebraska. Inside the “Bruin Bunker” is a gamers’ paradise. It’s where Bellevue’s esports competitors train for the national stage. “The athletic department, the university itself, they might not fully understand what Esports is but they 100 percent support and they know it’s only growing. So, since the very beginning since its implantation, it’s been nothing but support, and with that, we’ve been able to build a very successful program ranked 8th in the nation in Overwatch 2,” the esports program head coach David Castillo-Ferrin said.Overwatch is one of the many games the Bruins compete in as part of the eight-year-old program. Castillo-Ferrin says esports present several opportunities for players, from competitive gaming to marketing, commentating, producing and streaming. “Those skills will help them in the future in any career that they may want to do. So, not only are we focusing on competitive play and being the best possible that we can be but we’re also looking at the other side of the esports in how we can go ahead and involve those individuals,” Castillo-Ferrin said.Just like any sports program, the opportunity to go professional is always a possibility. That’s the case with former Bruin Mark Kvashin, known as Karova in the gaming community.”I definitely got the opportunity through the scholarship that was provided to me from Bellevue University,” Kvashin said. “That really funded the opportunity that I had through here.”Kvashin signed a professional contract with Sentinels, one of the premiere professional esports organizations, while also securing partnerships with brands like Red Bull.”I still feel like the whole experience behind that is still pretty surreal,” Kvashin said.While today Kvashin spends his time competing in professional tournaments playing Marvel Rivals, he says his education was his main priority while in school.”The side was gaming, but then when I realized I had to put more time into gaming and that the opportunity was too high, and I had to take full advantage of it then I went full for it. Until then I still had my main goal as education,” Kvashin said.Castillio-Ferrin says it is a major goal of his to make sure his athletes know that the skills they are learning through the program are bigger than just becoming a professional esports athlete.”Only the one percent will make it to the pros. I’m beyond happy that Mark was really able to hit that milestone, but what about everyone else,” Castillo-Ferrin said. “What kind of skills and opportunities can we give them to be successful after university.”The current program has 25 participants. Castillo-Ferrin says they want to increase that number to 100 with multiple scholarship opportunities over the next couple of years.”When looking at esports and the just amazing positives that it has, I think parents need to really look at it as a real pathway to going to college, to going professional or really allowing those students to do what they love,” Castillo-Ferrin said.NAVIGATE: Home | Weather | Local News | National | Sports | Newscasts on demand |
Just like any sports program, the opportunity to go professional is always a possibility. That’s the case with former Bruin Mark Kvashin, known as Karova in the gaming community.Kvashin signed a professional contract with Sentinels, one of the premiere professional esports organizations, while also securing partnerships with brands like Red Bull.

“The side was gaming, but then when I realized I had to put more time into gaming and that the opportunity was too high, and I had to take full advantage of it then I went full for it. Until then I still had my main goal as education,” Kvashin said.