About the time the Wayland Baptist University Pioneer football team is kicking off the third game of its eighth season Saturday afternoon, the newest sport on the WBU campus will be getting its first-ever competition under way.
The Pioneers' esports team begins play in the
Overwatch TESPA Varsity Invitational Qualifier beginning at noon Saturday.
The online tournament, open to collegiate teams across the country, will see Wayland take on Becker College (Mass.) in its first competition. The tournament is single-elimination and contains a total of 71 teams competing over seven rounds.
"If we keep winning, we will play all day," Wayland esports coach
Duncan Sweeney said.
The first four rounds are scheduled for Saturday at noon, 2, 4 and 6 p.m.; the final three rounds are Sunday at 2, 4 and 6 p.m.
A member of NACE (National Association of Collegiate Esports), Wayland's team will be set up in the basement of the university library, the Mabee Learning Resource Center located in the heart of the WBU campus.
"We've been practicing on computers in Gates Hall (the administration building). Our first time in the (library basement) was Monday," Sweeney said.
Spectators are welcome during the tournament.
"Anyone can come and watch," Sweeney said.
Wayland will compete in two games, Overwatch and Smite, during the 2019-20 academic year. The Smite season won't start until later this year.
In
Overwatch, players select from a roster of over 30 characters, known as "heroes," each with a unique style of play that is divided into three general roles that fit their purpose. Players on a team work together to secure and defend control points on a map or escort a payload across the map in a limited amount of time. Players gain cosmetic rewards that do not affect gameplay, such as character skins and victory poses, as they play the game.
A total of 10 students are listed on WBU's roster. An Overwatch team consists of six people, including three alternates, according to Sweeney.
"We wanted 15 (on the roster), but we have enough to get the job done. I think a lot of people are interested, they just don't know to come talk to me."
The coach said he's happy with how things have gone so far during team practices.
"I've been impressed with their skills," he said. "They're improving every day."
Duncan added that buzz about WBU esports is growing.
"We've been talking it up as much as we can."
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