Esports Program Profile: St. Thomas (TX)
This week, we’re putting the Houston, Texas-based University of St. Thomas in the spotlight.
The school has a varsity esports program and participates in numerous collegiate leagues, including the Texas Scholastic Esports Federation, the SCAC (Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference), and CLoL (College League of Legends).
St. Thomas offers one of the most elaborate and diverse gaming rosters around, with esports titles including League of Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros Melee, Super Smash Bros Ultimate, and Valorant.
But the list goes on: Students who participate in the program can also find a home for Call of Duty, CS: GO, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, SMITE, DOTA 2, Players Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), Starcraft II, Rainbow Six Siege, Beatsaber, Apex Legends, and popular sports titles like FIFA, NBA 2K, and Madden. Dang, St. Thomas!
Balancing Academics with Esports
Aside from multiple varsity teams as part of its official esports program, the university also offers several academic and career opportunities to its students.
Students interested in esports academically can take up ‘Introduction to Esports,’ which is an innovative Esports 101 course designed for students at both collegiate and high-school levels. Students can also choose an esports minor related to coaching in esports.
The university also offers various career opportunities in the field of esports, including esports internships, event and marketing management, etc., to help its students train for the ever-increasing jobs in the esports sector.
Partnerships and the Pathway to Pro
The University of St. Thomas has an official partnership with Houston Outlaws, the professional Overwatch esports team based in Houston, Texas. The partnership allows the program to put special focus on Overwatch recruits and polish their skills for various national and international tournaments through scrimmages and other collaborative events. As a college program partnering with a professional org, this partnership is neary one of a kind.
Another exciting partnership lined up by St. Thomas? Mainline, a popular esports platform and media company, is working with St. Thomas to enhance the esports program at the university. The partnership is also aimed at increasing the exposure of esports recruits to the industry through interaction with the leading industry experts.
Something for Everyone
Aside from competitive gaming, the University of St. Thomas also offers club-styled gaming for interested students. The gaming club at the university regularly conducts gaming events and meetups for community engagement and promotion of esports culture on the campus. Students who are interested in pursuing leadership positions can also volunteer for coaching the varsity esports teams.
The university offers esports scholarships for five gaming titles, namely League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Valorant, Starcraft II, and Super Smash Bros Melee. Aside from esports scholarships, various financial aid programs are available for freshmen, continuing, and transfer students to help them fund their education. Tryouts are conducted for all potential recruits seeking varsity scholarship positions at the university.
Be a St. Thomas Celt!
The University of St. Thomas offers one of the most competent catholic esports programs in the country, with a wide range of esports titles and various academic and career opportunities in esports.
You can learn more about the university and its esports program on its official website. Visit the official Twitter, Instagram, and Twitch channel of the university for regular esports updates.
(this article is provided by Looking For Group, a Checkpoint XP content partner.)