HIGH SCORES
Student organization Triton Gaming regularly makes top national ranks :
OVERWATCH : a team of motley heroes combat rebellious robots 4th ( 2017 )
STARCRAFT : intergalactic warfare strategy with the fate of entire species at stake 3rd ( 2017 )
THE PLAYERS
UC SAN DIEGO HAS DIVISION I athletics on the horizon , but student gamers are already dominating the DI version of esports . Teams from the student organization Triton Gaming have historically — as historic as a new sport can be — performed well at the national level , earning top-10 ranks in many of the industry ’ s most popular games . Kevin He ’ 16 founded the organization in 2014 as an outlet for gaming enthusiasts on campus to meet and support each other as well as network — in many senses of the word . “ Students on campuses with active gaming communities often gain leadership experiences that help them apply for jobs in the industry ,” says He , who can testify to that
COUNTERSTRIKE : GLOBAL OFFENSIVE boots-on-the-ground tactical teams compete under fire 1st ( 2017 )
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS : arena battles between teams of uniquely skilled champions Top 4 in West Region ( 2017 )
fact — he ’ s now an associate product manager of chapters at Tespa , the leading network of collegiate gaming clubs across North America , doing very much what he began here on campus , only at a larger scale . Starting out as just a handful of students , the organization now has 600 active members , with on-campus expos and events that regularly draw upwards of 2,000 attendees from all around San Diego .
DEFENSE OF THE ANCIENTS : teams of mythical beasts aim for each other ’ s ancient building Top 8 ( 2016 )
Even Dom Roemer , the caster , was an early member of the organization , and says Triton Gaming was hugely influential in his career . “ The community at Triton Gaming completely made me who I am ,” he says . “ When I succeeded we celebrated together , and when I failed , they showed me how to do better next time .”
↖ Founded in 2014 , the student esports club Triton Gaming has grown to 600 members , and regularly sends topranking teams to national league competitions .
THE MANAGER
ESPORTS MAY LIVE ONLINE , but its real-world communities are gaining serious traction at
colleges . J . T . Vandenbree ’ 09 works for Riot Games , and is set to turn the success of the professional league into a collegiate circuit — the NCAA of the esports world . As associate college esports manager , he ’ s shaping the development of the League of Legends collegiate tournament , which had 311 different university teams participate last year , including UC San Diego . “ We don ’ t see the difference between college esports and college sports ,” says Vandenbree . “ The scope of interest is widening , the pool of advertisers is expanding beyond game-related companies , and the number and quality of games are on the rise .” He speaks of League of Legends as a game meant to hold your attention , in the same way that watching and playing basketball doesn ’ t get old . “ These games have the potential to be as deep and meaningful to people as the sports we ’ ve celebrated for a long time ,” he says . “ We ’ re trying to change the perspective that gaming is just a hobby . Because nowadays it ’ s something that can get you a career , help you develop life skills and even make you a better person — you learn to work together , strive for improvement , take critical feedback , set goals and build a plan to reach them .”
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