Rachel Marwedel
Reporter
In the basement of the Pond Student Union building, furiously clicking and shouting hurried commands at each other, a group of dedicated students train tirelessly to defeat their opponents. From their regimented practices, intense passion, and deep commitment, there’s only one thing separating these students from other college athletes. Because instead of competing physically, this team competes virtually through video games.
Esports has steadily been on the rise over the past few years, and ISU has now been caught up in the wave. For those unfamiliar with Esports, the ISU Esports coach, Charles Johnston, defines it as “competing in video games in a similar way to traditional sports.” Teams compete against each other virtually through a network of other colleges. Players have a game they specialize and compete in, similar to how track and field athletes compete in different categories like shot put or hurdles.
Don’t confuse these students with ordinary gamers, though – “It’s just as regimented and disciplined as other sports. Some people in the top leagues play 16 hours a day.” Johnston told me. “Our students are still expected to fulfill all GPA requirements, and education comes first. It’s a good combo of fun but also true productivity and teamwork.”
Coach Johnston (gamer tag MYSTVC) is an excellent example of just where Esports can take you in life. Born and raised in Pocatello, he graduated high school in 2016 and played Call of Duty (CoD) professionally for the next four years. In 2021, he made the switch to coaching. He’s coached 30 to 40 different players, including “Scrap,” the CoD 2023 Rookie of the Year, and “Gwinn,” the CoD 2024 Rookie of the Year. In 2023, following his win of the CoD World Championship, Johnston was propositioned to lead the ISU team.
“I’m excited to get to work with all of my players in person every day,” Johnston told me. “My last seasons of coaching have all been remote. It’s way more personal this way.”
As they approach the start of the season, Johnston and his players have been working hard. “The players have very ambitious mindsets that are easy to mold and develop…There’s going to be a lot of pictures of us having fun, but I’m going to be hard on them every day.”
Emory Johnson, junior and Rocket League player, echoes his coach, “We have a lot of passionate players, and they’re all looking forward to the season starting. We’re all gamers, but we dedicate a lot to what we do and [what we play]. I’m really excited and kind of nervous for the next game… [but my team and I] are ready to make a statement.”
And make a statement they will. These students are not beginners. When asked about the skill level of his team, Johnston said, “It’s hard to say. We don’t know the exact quality of the opposing team. For now, we’ll develop what we have.” But Johnston assured me: “We won’t get smoked every time. We will be competitive. I want to make this a winning program. ”
ISU will compete in the NACE Esports League in Valorant, Overwatch 2, and Rocket League this season. Each game has slightly different player requirements. Rocket League will have three players on the starting roster, with one substitute. Overwatch 2 and Valorant have five players on the starting roster, with three substitutes for each game.
The season lasts for seven weeks, beginning on September 9th. Rocket League is played on Mondays, Overwatch 2 on Tuesdays, and Valorant on Wednesdays. Each game begins at 7:00 p.m. and will be streamed with live commentary on the ISU Esports channel.
For their first Rocket League game, September 9th, ISU played North Texas, losing 0-3. On September 10th, ISU played Grand View in Overwatch 2, losing 0-3, as well. For Valorant, on September 11th, ISU faced off against Oklahoma Christian, losing 0-2. ISU played an additional Rocket League game on the 11th, playing against Sacramento State and winning their first game of the season, 3-0. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, none of these games were able to be streamed, but the team hopes to start streaming the week of the 16th.
Students looking to get involved with the Esports program can go to isu.edu/esports and fill out an application. In general, the team is looking to add gold or above players. In addition, for ISU students who are interested, the team is still looking for Overwatch and Rocket League commentators – email ude.usinull@stropse for more information.
In the future, Johnston hopes to add Call of Duty to the roster of games, as well as Super Smash Bros. and League of Legends. As they expand, he’d also like to add Junior Varsity teams, open the facility up to regular students, and open up to live, in-person audiences.
One thing’s for sure – this team is a team to watch. They’re serious about their sport and not afraid to show it to the world.
