UNT Establishes Varsity Esports Program and Secures Top Seed in Collegiate Tournament

[Mean Green Maniac]

Hello GMG members!

This is the Mean Green Maniac, and after years of following GMG as a guest, I've recently joined! I'm that crazy fan you may or may not have seen at the football/basketball games sporting football pads, crazy sunglasses, feather boas, face paint, and mohawk wigs! Been a MG sports fan since 2009 and endured the Dodge era as did many of us. I'm a UNT employee and an alum of the Green Brigade, and look forward to talking MG sports with everyone!

Just wanted to share some exciting "sports" news out of the eSports arena and UNT: https://studentaffairs.unt.edu/news/UNTesports

Here is the Official Notice from the president:

Dear UNT community,

This spring, UNT became Texas’ first public university with a collegiate esports program. At a launch event on Monday, April 16, you can learn more about this emerging sport.

Esports is the competitive live play of video games with a cash prize pool. By launching UNT Esports, a program within the Division of Students Affairs’ Recreational Sports department, our students will have a huge opportunity to play on the varsity collegiate level against teams across the nation!

Whether you’re well on your way to becoming a professional esports player or someone who has no idea what esports actually is, I invite you to join UNT Esports from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, April 16, in the University Union Lyceum for an Overwatch tournament. This event promises to be full of fun and Mean Green spirit. Our standout student gamers will help you learn more about this worldwide phenomenon that is the newest professional and collegiate sport. Students also can learn about upcoming tryouts for the League of Legends and Overwatch varsity teams.

It’s exciting to see the university continue to respond to our students’ interests and to further develop programs in tandem with industry demand. Last year, the esports industry grossed $696 million in total revenue and is predicted to grow to $1.5 billion by 2020.

Come see what it’s all about, and support our students!

UNT Proud,
Neal Smatresk
President

I myself am a gamer and I realize this is not a traditional "sport" nor is it included within UNT Athletics/MG Sports, but this is a huge and fast-growing competitive industry, and universities across the nation are taking part. What does everyone think?

[UNTLifer]

This is cool and all, but sitting on one's hind quarters with a controller in hand is not a sport.