Esports | 4/10/2019 2:09:00 PM

MIAMI SHORES, Fla.— Barry University will join a growing group of colleges and universities across the nation by launching an eSports program, scheduled to commence in fall 2019, director of athletics Michael L. Covone announced today.

Esports, which centers around competitive computer gaming, will become the University's 13th sport. Barry's eSports program will be a member of the 125-school National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE), which includes schools ranging from no other varsity sports, through junior colleges, NAIA schools and schools at all three levels of the NCAA.  Games sponsored by NACE for esports include League of Legends, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Overwatch, Paladins, Rocket League, SMITE, and Starcraft II.

By having an eSports team and facilities dedicated to gaming, Barry can meet the growing student interest in gaming. The University is in the process of creating an eSports gaming room that will support Barry's eSports team who will compete against other college/university eSports teams.

The room will also support individual students interested in gaming. The eSports gaming space will be constructed during the spring semester and summer of 2019.

Barry also offers a degree program in CIS with Digital Media that should interest eSports student-athletes if they are interested in a career in the field, since it prepares students with a stimulating program with courses in Video Game Design, Virtual Reality, 3D Modeling, 3D Animation, Web Animation, and Computer Programming, all of which are highly sought-after skills in the gaming industry.

Prospective student-athletes and current Barry University students interested in being a member of the Buccaneer eSports team can contact the university at 786-971-2487.

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