RSU’s Esports Valorant team members include Katie Bains of Claremore, Braden Green of Cordell, Nolan Capps of Claremore, Kolby Clark of Claremore, Andrew Porter of Broken Arrow, and Coach Victor Holleyman of Salina (RSU class of 2023).
Rogers State University’s esports Valorant team came back from Kansas last month, having secured a first-place win in the Emporia Invitational Tournament April 27.
The tournament, which included regional teams from the NECC (National Esports Collegiate Conferences) league, squared the university’s team against others within the league from schools comparable to, and larger than, RSU.
“Although this competition was not part of an officially sanctioned NECC conference, other schools in the region – Northeastern State, Kansas State, Emporia State, and others – participated,” said RSU esports coach Holden Craig.
RSU graduate and Valorant coach Victor Holleyman of Salina took the team to Emporia, Kansas, for the tournament, where they played 12 hours, each game taking from one to three hours, and they overcame an early setback.
“The teams play four series, best of three, except for the finals, which is best of five,” he said. “In the first round, the RSU team went down, but they made a comeback and went all the way to the grand finals where they beat Kansas State, which was very exciting.”
Valorant team members include Katie Bains of Claremore, Braden Green of Cordell, Nolan Capps of Claremore, Kolby Clark of Claremore, Andrew Porter of Broken Arrow, and Coach Victor Holleyman of Salina (RSU class of 2023).
In addition to Valorant, other varsity titles in the program are Madden Football, Overwatch 2, Smash Ultimate, League of Legends, and others, with each title typically having two teams – a red team and a blue team.
“We’ve won NECC conferences before – those are the pinnacle of our seasonal competitions, but this was a one-day tournament that put us up against teams from much bigger schools,” Craig said. “For the students to have the mental toughness to compete against teams like those means a lot to me. I’m very proud of our coach and our players, for sure.”
Rogers State University was the first university in Oklahoma to offer esports, competitive video gaming, as an official university activity. During esports competitions, gamers work individually and in teams. The program is open for all enrolled RSU students.
The esports facilities are located in Herrington Hall on the Claremore campus and open to students 24 hours a day. Tiered seating is available for spectators and to watch competitions.
For more information about Rogers State University’s esports program, email Craig at [email protected] or visit www.rsu.edu/esports.
For information about bachelor’s degree options in esports or game design, visit www.rsu.edu/infotech.