CU Esports team has record-breaking fifth year with plans for the future

ATHENS, W. Va. (WVVA) -Esports is a growing phenomenon across the United States, taking gaming to the ‘next level’ through competition. Now, Concord University is making waves in the national competitive gaming scene.

Concord University first started their Esports team around five years ago, but the program’s director, Austin Clay, says this year may be their best one yet. In this academic year alone, they’ve earned nine national titles so far, representing their university and the area against other college teams from around the country.

“I think it’s really impressive that we can say that we are the premiere team in the state and be able to carry that with us and lead esports in the state and moving forward,” says Clay.

This is the first time Concord University Esports has been to nine championships in one season, and is also their first time having two teams win National Championships in “Rocket League” and “Fortnite.”

In a press release, the team says “The Concord Fortnite trio roster captured their first national championship by winning the Spring 2025 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) title, bringing Mountain Lions’ total championship wins to 19.”

This year, their Rocket League team earned eight of CU’s national titles. We spoke to one of the team’s winning players who says it’s no surprise his team did so well.

“It’s just all the hard work that we put in… like I always say, our team is like a brotherhood… we have a lot of chemistry in and out the game, so we just play the game a lot, we enjoy hanging out, so you know, not other teams; no other teams are kind of like us. It’s just chemistry,” says Rocket League player, Tyler Chase “Helix” Koger.

Koger says esports helped him take something he enjoys and make it competitive. He encourages other students wanting to upgrade their gaming skills to join the Concord University Esports team during tryouts this fall.

“This is the best collegiate program for esports, in my opinion… they care so much, whether you’re a top team, a mid-level team… they’ll put so much work into you and… hear you out. Like, I don’t know another program that does that,” says Koger.

Their wins this year qualify CU Esports to compete again at the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup May Madness Tournament in Arlington, Texas, and the National Esports Collegiate Conference May Madness tournament in San Antonio.

But CU Esports doesn’t plan to slow down after this school year ends, with plans to add the new game “Marvel Rivals” to their repertoire. This coming academic year, they also plan to hold multiple LAN competitions in a variety of games, with a $3,000-$5,000 prize pool.

Soon, it won’t just be college students who are able to enjoy the gaming facility on Concord University’s campus. Beginning May 1st, they will be allowing people to rent their rooms, including their competition room, for birthday parties.

Starting in July, they also will be bringing back their four esports camps. July 7th – 10th and 14th – 17th will be their camps for kids aged 8 – 12, while July 21st – 24th and 28th – 31st will be their camps for kids aged 13 – 18.

These camps give kids the opportunity to potentially earn their way onto this team or others, with campers eligible to participate in their Esports Combine on August 1st where they will be able to compete in front of college esports recruiters from multiple schools. These camps are an opportunity to upgrade gaming skills and life skills, learning things like teamwork, communication, and taking criticism as well as how to be recruitable for esports.

“…you never know the impact that you have just by being at one of these camps… The ability to have a camp for Esports is amazing because kids are very interested in video games, so this can help these kids, not only grow the confidence that need in order to become better players, but it can help in general just give them the motivation to, like, ‘Yeah, I think I will stay in school because I think that I have all of these friends; I know that I am popular. I can do stuff,’” says Logan Osborne, a Super Smash Bros. Ultimate player who was also a camp leader last year.

You can get more information about joining these camps by going to this website.

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