UNCW Wins Esports Championship

The UNCW Valorant Team won the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Division IV Championship on April 7 with a finals victory over the University of Alabama. The team, which won their first division championship in December, finished the Spring season with a 10-0 record. Their record for the year was 19-1.

The team is currently competing in a special bracket against champions from all divisions of both the Fall and Spring semesters. Competition got underway on April 14.

“Our Valorant Team has now won back-to-back championships, and they won their first match in special bracket competition” said Ray Pastore, professor of instructional technology at the Watson College of Education and faculty advisor for UNCW esports. “I am so incredibly proud of how our team competed – and continues to compete - this season.”

Members of the championship Valorant Team are: Nicholas Crane, a junior majoring in informational technology; Syrus Pien, a senior majoring in cybersecurity; Brandon Mason, a freshman majoring in cybersecurity; Kavi Miller, a junior majoring in computer science; and Owen Nelson, a junior majoring in business analytics.

UNCW introduced an Esports Club in 2019 for individuals interested in gaming and streaming. The Club, open to all UNCW students, is comprised of both competitive gamers and less experienced recreational players. In 2022, UNCW elevated its esports teams to varsity status, and opened a new esports lab on campus. Today, the esports club boasts 10 competitive teams and a discord with more than 800 members. The club holds weekly meetings and hosts collegiate and community events throughout the academic year.

In 2020, UNCW’s Watson College of Education introduced an esports certificate program for individuals interested in gaming, streaming and exploring esports career options. The program, offered to both undergraduate and graduate students, was the first of its kind in North Carolina. Today, several alumni of UNCW’s certificate program are making their mark in the industry. New classes start each semester! For more information visit the UNCW Instructional Technology website.