Bismarck State College Adds Varsity Esports, Offering Scholarships

  • 07/25/19

BISMARCK, ND – Bismarck State College (BSC) Athletic Director Buster Gillis recently announced that BSC is entering the rapidly growing and competitive world of esports (electronic sports) by launching a varsity Mystics esports team this fall. The college is actively recruiting gamers to fill the 2019-20 roster with 50 $1,000 scholarships.

“Gaming is mainstream and implementing a team on campus allows us to bring those who may not always become involved in a sport or campus organization together,” says Gilliss. “Esports is a means for BSC to attract students, celebrate a diversity of interests on our campus, and invest money to benefit even more of our student body.”

ESports gives students access to a unique technology environment and complements a number of academic programs on campus such as web design, computer science, cybersecurity, and mass communications. The strategy leveraged by gamers is relevant to the skills employers are looking for—team play, strategic thinking, problem solving, and an ability to handle stressful situations.

“We know students who are engaged in extracurriculars do better academically and socially,” says Gilliss.

BSC is a member of the newly formed National Junior College Athletic Association Esports, the governing body for junior college esports, and the Mystics program will be led by coach and advanced gamer Casey Mischel of Mandan, ND.

Student players will be chosen for the team based on their rank and score history in four games: Overwatch, League of Legends, Heatherstone, and Fortnite, and the Mystics will compete against teams from Dickinson State University, University of Jamestown, and Minnesota State University Moorhead, as well as other NJCAA schools across the country. The collegiate esports season culminates in a national championship tournament, similar to other collegiate athletics.

“This is a win-win for BSC and we’re excited to launch this especially as the momentum is building in the high schools,” says Gilliss.

This fall, 16 North Dakota high schools will have sanctioned esports teams.

Students interested in competing in the 2019-20 Mystics esports season can complete the online recruiting form at bismarckstate.edu/esportsrecruit.

Featured

  • New Jersey High School Debuts Auditorium Renovation, Technical Upgrades

    Plainfield High School in Plainfield, N.J., recently completed a series of construction projects including an auditorium renovation, a new eSports gaming arena, and a black-box theater, according to a news release. The school partnered with PureTek Group to install the Pliant Technologies CrewCom professional wireless intercom system.

  • Studio G Announces Completion of New Massachusetts Elementary School

    The Groton-Dunstable Regional School District in Groton, Mass., recently announced the completion of a new elementary school, according to a news release. Florence Roche Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet and has the capacity for 645 students in grades K–4.

  • Texas A&M Breaks Ground on New Space Institute

    The Texas A&M University Space Institute recently broke ground next to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, according to a news release. The Nov. 15 groundbreaking ceremony followed the Nov. 7 approval by the Texas A&M University System’s Board of Regents of $200 million for the facility’s construction.

  • Understanding the Training of School Resource Officers

    SROs are now integral components of nearly every educational system in the country. But instead of being a more passive entity in schools, they have gradually become mentors to students, adding to their support network of teachers, parents, coaches, and other caring adults.