Student-athletes in the University of North Texas at Dallas Trailblazers esports team won the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Overwatch 2 National Association of Collegiate Esports Western Conference championship titles.
The University of North Texas at Dallas had watch parties at Campus Hall where people could watch the Trailblazers esports team win its first two championships.
The University of North Texas at Dallas Trailblazers esports team won not one but two National Association of Collegiate Esports Western Conference championship titles in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Overwatch 2, their first titles in program history.
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 varsity team defeated Neumont College as they capped off an undefeated season, and the Overwatch 2 team defeated St. Ambrose University on April 19.
While the National Association of Collegiate Esports offers $16 million in esports scholarships and aid, Caleb Simmons, UNT Dallas esports program coordinator, said the team did not receive scholarship earnings for the wins but said winning the competition would help the program grow.
“I think it puts eyes on the program,” Simmons said.
Overwatch 2 is a free-to-play, team-based action game set in the future that pits teams of five players against each other in a battlefield brawl. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a first-person shooter game where players are also teamed up together.
The Trailblazers esports team was founded in 2019 and has quickly become a formidable force in the competitive gaming scene. All varsity-level esports athletes receive $500 in additional scholarship funds.
UNT Dallas is a member of NACE, one of the largest member associations of college and university-sponsored esports programs.
The team decided to have its first watch parties at the Campus Hall, where about 30 people showed up to watch them win.
“All the staff and student-athletes, we all have smiles on our faces,” Simmons said. “We were really surprised that people want to come and show their support.”
Simmons said now the university faculty and staff have congratulated the program for the title wins, but more important, more students are reaching out to join the program or asking where they can watch matches.
Simmons said both teams overcame a bad season last year, reviewing what they did wrong last season.
The winning season meant a lot to the student-athletes, as Simmons described them as a family.
“These athletes are more than just friends,” Simmons said. “They’re always hanging out outside of school, helping each other with their schoolwork. And I think that that goes into how they’re practicing and how they’re playing the same energy with the team.”
Simmons said the program would compete to join another collegiate esports tournament and aims to win scholarship money.
All full-time UNT Dallas and College of Law students must maintain a 2.00 GPA to try out and stay on the team. Esports athletes have required practice times during the week, are required to have a dedicated study hall time and must maintain a total of 24 credit hours during the academic year. Those who are interested in joining can email esports@untdallas.edu.
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JUAN BETANCOURT can be reached via Twitter at @jbetancourt_15.
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