A New College Sensation
Talladega College has expanded its academic and extracurricular offerings in recent years, reflecting its commitment to staying relevant in a rapidly changing world. One of the most exciting developments is the school’s growing involvement in esports. Esports has made a boom in the College industry as of recently as an extracurricular activity. In this day and age, you can’t go to any school without hearing about an esports program and as esports continues to rise across colleges nationwide, Talladega recognizes the opportunity to engage students who are passionate about gaming, technology and online competition. By supporting an esports program, the college not only appeals to a new generation of students, but also promotes critical skills. However, to understand the impact that esports has made on the community and students alike, we first need to explain what esports truly is.
What is Esports?
‘College is a great era to play video games. You are young, you have energy, and everything in gaming comes to you naturally.”– British Esports Association
Esports, according to The British Esports Association, are defined as competitive, organized video game tournament events played at different levels. The levels range from professional to amateur, just like regular sports tournaments. They play many different types of games, like NBA2k, Call of Duty, Madden, Fortnite and Marvel Rivals. In these coming years, Esports has been able to do things like win people large sums of money, get people scholarships and increase the legitimacy of esports as an actual career path.
Esports on the Rise
Some people see Esports as “brainrot” or “useless.” Still, to many Esports contestants, Esports have become their gateway out of reality and an activity to help them stay out of trouble.
Over the past decade, esports has transformed from a niche pastime into a global asset, in the meantime attracting millions of viewers, generating billions in revenue, and earning recognition. This rapid rise has sparked a wave of academic involvement, with colleges and universities, including a growing number of HBCUs, establishing their own esports teams, academic programs, and dedicated gaming facilities to prepare students for careers in the expanding digital entertainment industry. National milestones such as record-breaking tournament viewership and the integration of esports into collegiate athletic networks highlight just how mainstream competitive gaming has become. Against this backdrop, Talladega’s decision to launch its own Esports team reflects a forward-thinking commitment to innovation, inclusion, and the evolving world of digital competition. It places the college squarely within a movement that is not only reshaping entertainment, but also creating new educational and professional pathways for students.
The Players: Voices from the Team
“I JUST LIKE WHAT I DO, IT GIVES ME THE MOTIVATION TO KEEP GOING, SO I CAN JUST FINISH SCHOOL AND GET OUT OF HERE.” – CHAD IVORY
To understand the motivations, liking and the ideas of the members behind the organization, we spoke with some of them!
We started by asking Chad Ivory, a junior computer science major, “What first got you into gaming?” in which he responded “I saw a lot of people playing, and it just gave me that courage to like keep fighting for it.” When asked what the atmosphere is like, Chad states “Its really serious, you’ve got to really lock in, be focused.”
Next, we spoke to Jordan Frazier, senior, biology major, and Jayden Frazier, junior, computer science major. We began by asking what games they have competed in since joining the team. Listed off was: Madden, League of Legends, Valorant, NBA2k and ESPN College Football. When asked what first got them into gaming, Jordan and Jayden both recalled seeing their dad playing a game by the name of Red Dead Redemption on the PlayStation 2 when they were younger and saying “I want to do that, as well.” When asked what the atmosphere is like, Jayden states “It’s tense, definitely quiet.” meanwhile Jordan says “It’s tense, and competitive. Still a very fun environment to be in.”
Esports and Student Life: How Esports Affects Students
“We went to the place where they filmed Jason, there was a pool party, it was quite cool. It was lit.” – Jayden Frazier
Now, when asked how being a part of the Esports team has changed their college experiences, Jayden, Jordan and Chad alike all had positive things to say. Things ranging from Esports being able to keep them academically afloat (considering The Lab has the best Wi-Fi), Making their college experience more enjoyable overall and expanding their horizons by taking them to off campus events and even just saying it puts them at peace and helps them promote themselves and network. For many students here at TC, esports provides a sense of belonging and community. Students, under the esports program can compete, grow and even explore future career paths in the ever growing industry that consists of game design, event management and broadcasting. Esports also encourages discipline, time management and leadership and coaching skills.
The Achievements of the Esports Team: Where Will They Go From Here?
Since the establishment of the Esports team here at Talladega College, they’ve achieved several points of winning. Firstly, they’ve made the playoffs for Valorant every year (since The Fraziers have joined, on record). Chad recalls getting his team 4th place on the leaderboards for the ECAC and as of right now, they’re super close to qualifying for the finalists list!