Next College Student Athlete (NCSA) add esports to collegiate sports roster

27 September 2018

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Collegiate athletic recruiting network, Next College Student Athlete (NCSA) have announced the addition of esports to its roster of collegiate sports options.

Lisa Strasman, President of NCSA, said: “Esports is the fastest growing sport in the world, and universities are rapidly adding varsity programs to their athletic departments as it continues to surge in popularity. This growth can make it difficult for student-athletes to identify the right collegiate esports program, and for coaches to fill their rosters. Our platform will ensure the best fit for both esport student-athletes and college coaches.”

The addition of esports comes after the NCSA’s parent company, Reigning Champs, established a partnership with the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) earlier this year with the addition of esports to the BeRecruited platform.

NACE has helped many institutions across the country establish an esports program, as one governing body for collegiate competition. 

Michael Brooks, NACE Director, commented: “Recruiting for esports has become just as competitive as recruiting for any other collegiate sport. NCSA will give our member coaches access to an extensive network of student-athletes and help build the best teams for their varsity esport programs.”

BeRecruited also partnered with Hi-Rez Studios in June to give resources to high schools students interested in playing Paladins or SMITE at the collegiate level.

The announcement states the NCSA will support all 14 collegiate esports including League of Legends and Overwatch. Student-athletes interested in competing will be able to create recruiting profiles and have access to NCSA’s network of collegiate coaches. 

Esports Insider says: As collegiate esports participation grows as fast as professional esports itself, the addition of esports to the NCSA program will open many doors for student-athletes. The necessity of recruitment options is a natural evolution, as the same would be in traditional sports. With the inclusion of a massive and established organisation like NACE, it can only yield positive results for collegiate esports athletes.