OKMULKE, Oklv. – The esports group for the College of the Muscogee Nation (CMN) just took an important step toward being recognized as a legitimate team when it decided to join the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association of ESports (NJCAAE). This is the NJCAA’s main PC and console gaming league. Starting this fall, the college’s teams will compete in games like Fortnite, Mario Kart, and Valorant, which are their current focuses.
According to CMN esport coaches, students on campus have always had a love for video games, and are excited to play them competitively now. “The whole reason we started the e-sports team was because everyone here on campus since the dorms were built has had an interest in competitive video games… As soon as we got the dorms in, there was always at least one person with a video game system, whether it be the Nintendo 64 with old-school Super Smash Bros or Tekken, or the more modern systems with Battlefield or Call of Duty, so we would play everything and just kind of compete.” Esport Coach Colton Wood, said. Wood serves as an English Instructor at CMN.
Thomas Berryhill, another coach for the organization, stated this team will be held to a high standard. “We’re not just a club. We are a legitimate organization on campus… So we’ve set the GPA requirements to compete at a higher level than anything else in the school… It’s a reward system, so if you want to play at a competitive level, you have to make sure you’re going to class and going to school.” Berryhill said.
In addition to the esports team entering the NJCAA, CMN esport coaches also shared how the new gaming setups are open for all students of the College of Muscogee Nation to use after hours once they’ve completed their work, or whenever they feel like doing so.
Finally, the coaches stated that once the season starts, they hope to start hosting events involving students, previous alumni, and the community.
