by Peyton Rice
Photo credit: Forbes Magazine
What are esports? According to the Oxford Language Dictionary, esports is a multiplayer video game played competitively for spectators, typically by professional gamers. Many of these competitions can consist of teams, as well as individuals.
Esports have been around since the early 1970s in China, but during the 1990s the growth of online video games sparked tournament-level competitions. Previously, video games relied on high scores to determine the best player but with the popular game Street Fighter ll, players could directly challenge each other face-to-face. Today, esports tournaments have been broadcasted on ESPN and many other notable television networks.
LSUS Athletics announced last fall that the university was adding its first ever esports team. The team is composed of seven members and competes in the National Association of Collegiate Esports. The Pilots will be under the leadership of head coach Matthew Parks.
On Saturday, February 20, the LSUS esports team achieved their first win in program history with a 2-1 victory over Oklahoma Christian University. The Pilots competed through the PC platform playing League of Legends.
To watch any Pilot esport competition replay, check out their Twitch channel at LSUSeSports for past matches. For schedules and tournament dates, visit www.lsusathletics.com.
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