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Esports at Saint Rose
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Compete in Esports at The College of Saint Rose
Golden Knights Esports launches August 2019 with the opening of our Golden Knights Arena and the launch of an intercollegiate team that will compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Golden Knights Arena will include 24 fully-equipped player stations, a coaching station, screens for game-watching throughout the room, and a locker area.
Meet Your Esports Coach
Leading the team is Dan Marino, a full-time esports coach who prior to arriving at Saint Rose created an organization to help develop the skills of esports players, coaches, broadcasters, and writers. Prior to getting involved in esports, he was involved in traditional sports playing and coaching just about every sport. (Fun fact: Coach Marino was also a classical archaeologist for five years.)
Students have the chance to earn scholarships that will be included with their other financial aid.
FAQs for Prospective Players
For the team’s inaugural season, we’ll be competing in Overwatch and League of Legends.
The program is run similarly to traditional sports. Students practice two to three times a week for 2 ½ to 3 hours, with an additional meeting for VOD review.
Competitions are weekly, with spring and fall seasons, and primarily take place within the region (against other ECAC teams, such as Siena, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Marist). In the future, remote matches against other colleges and universities may be added.
Coach Marino expects and encourage good nutrition and fitness because overall wellness is important to staying competitive in esports, too. Students also must maintain a minimum GPA in order to retain eligibility.
The equipment for our new Golden Knights Arena, which opens in early August 2019, hasn’t been finalized yet, but plans are to equip it with 24 units that have i9 processors, 2070 graphics cards, 16 GB RAM, 240Hz monitors. For players that don’t want to use their own, a stock keyboard, mouse, and headset will be included at each station.
Team members will also be provided with a shirt, which will serve as their uniform.
There’s no minimum rank. For the intercollegiate team, we will field as many teams at a competition as we can based on player ability, but all students who have a proficiency with the games we play and want to make the commitment involved in being on the team will have a spot.
Our most competitive teams will be made up of players who rank high gold into high platinum in Overwatch and silver or gold for League of Legends. Even though we’re open to having any rank, we’re going to be super-competitive. (When Coach Dan Marino recently attended a large regional competition to staff an informational table, he was already telling the high school and middle school students in attendance to expect Saint Rose to sweep the event next year.)
For players who enjoy esports but do not wish to take on the commitment required to play on the intercollegiate team, Saint Rose also offers an esports club.
FAQs for Families
At Saint Rose, we take the student in student-athlete seriously. Our esports coach also believes that spending too much time creates diminishing returns. After too much practice, a player will not improve. That said, the program is run similarly to traditional sports. Students practice two to three times a week for 2 ½ to 3 hours, with an additional meeting for “watching film.” The coach will also expect and encourage good nutrition and fitness because overall wellness is important to esports play, too.
For the intercollegiate team, we will field as many teams at a competition as we can based on player ability, but all students who have a proficiency with the games we play and want to make the commitment involved in being on the team will have a spot.
For players who enjoy esports but do not wish to take on the commitment required to play on the intercollegiate team, Saint Rose also offers an esports club.
Although it may not seem like it to the casual observer, esports encourages leadership, teamwork, and opens up the opportunity for social interaction. It helps students hone their analytical and problem-solving skills. The discipline required to balance esports and academics is an important life skill. Esports also helps feed a student’s competitive spirit.
And good news for families who worry about the school/competition balance: Students are expected to maintain a minimum GPA in order to remain on the team.
The only expense is that players need to have their own copy of the games because they must have a registered account in order to play. (Note: League of Legends is free for those who can’t afford to buy a game like Overwatch.)
