Game on!

"Oh, I’m so excited. I’ve never been in a tournament," he said as he surveyed the opening action in the inaugural Rowan Esports Xtreme Tournament, which featured more than 100 competitive gamers vying for trophies in Overwatch, Rocket League and League of Legends competitions. Competitors included students from Rowan and its partner community colleges.

"These are 240Hz monitors. They’re the very best. I can’t wait to play," said the junior computer science major from Toms River, who has achieved the grandmaster rank in Overwatch, putting him at the top 1 percent of competitors.

Across the way, Rowan alumna Alesha DeBose was equally jazzed. Though she wasn’t in the tournament, the avid gamer, who earned a bachelor’s degree in writing arts and a master’s degree in higher education administration, knew what the day meant—both to Rowan and to esports competitors. She volunteered to help at the tournament.

"This is really cool," said DeBose, who has her own channel on Twitch TV, the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers.  “With esports, gamers finally have a space to be themselves and fully express themselves. When I heard about Rowan Esports, I asked how I could get involved. Esports is a booming industry. I’m excited that we’re doing esports Rowan’s way…by adding the academic side.”

Last month, Rowan and Nerd Street Gamers, the national network of esports facilities and events dedicated to powering competitive opportunities for gamers, announced a unique partnership to develop one of the region’s largest collegiate esports gaming and academic programs. The Esports Xtreme Tournament was a way to kick off—and celebrate—the partnership.

Under the partnership, Rowan will work with N3rd Street Gamers to develop curricula relating to the esports industry, establish internship opportunities and create club and varsity-level teams.

Nerd Street will invest more than $1 million to construct a 7,500-square-foot gaming facility on Rowan Boulevard. According to Christian Kunkel, who leads university partnerships for Nerd Street, the facility is being designed by Populous, “the premier sports architect in the world.” Populous has designed 13,25 stadiums, 12 Olympic venues, and 20 Major League Baseball parks, including Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, Kunkel said at the tournament.

“The space will be beautiful,” Kunkel said, noting the facility will have 60 top-of-the-line PCs, a production studio, multiple screening booths, and space for classes. “It will be a very modern, very bright, very active space. Our goal is to make it a hub for accessibility to exports.”

Kunkel said Nerd Street will be seeking student interns for marketing, broadcasting, management and other areas.

Rowan President Ali A. Houshmand told the tournament competitors that the skills they bring to being successful gamers—things like processing information quickly, making fast decisions and navigating the esports landscape—will serve them well in their career endeavors.

The esports industry encompasses elements of computer science (programming, video game development), communication (video production, graphic design, broadcasting) and business (sales, event management). The University has already begun incorporating those aspects of esports into existing curricula. Rowan is also creating certificate programs that will provide students and professionals with credentials and training to work in the industry. The partnership allows Rowan the opportunity to develop that even further and translate curriculum into practice.

The tournament, which ran nearly 12 hours, gave esports competitors the chance to vie for trophies and bragging rights. Meanwhile, Rowan broadcasting students—known in the industry as casters—offered up lively, insightful play-by-play on the games.  Houshmand even tried his hand at Mario Kart, taking on Colin Burnett, president of the Rowan Gaming Club, in a friendly competition.

Students lined up outside the Rec Center well before 8:30 a.m. for the sold-out tournament on Saturday, Oct. 19. And while the majority of competitors were male, Debose was glad to see the tournament included women who are devoted, competitive players.

“We’re people who enjoy our craft as much as others who enjoy art or basketball,” DeBose said.