St. Ambrose Joins esports Evolution

St. Ambrose will join a growing a number of colleges and universities in fielding an esports team in 2018-2019.

The Fighting Bees will compete with other collegiate esports teams in the popular games “League of Legends” and “Overwatch” under the direction of coach Joshua Sides.

Ray Shovlain ’79, ’82 MBA, SAU’s director of athletics, said the move into the cyber sports realm is in step with the university’s recent additions of cutting-edge academic programs in science, technology, engineering and the health sciences.

The co-ed esports team will be the 29th SAU athletics offering.

Sister Joan Lescinski, CSJ, PhD, said the university studied other collegiate esports programs and came away convinced the popular activity will help St. Ambrose recruit additional bright and academically engaged student-athletes.

"This new esports program is an exciting opportunity to bring a new generation of students interested in intercollegiate competition to study and grow at St. Ambrose," she said. "These virtual competitions will call upon teamwork, strategy and individual skills in an activity we know has been popular with college-aged students for many years."

Also next fall, St. Ambrose will add a color guard to its athletics band program. The guard will join with what is expected to be a 60-musician-strong marching band performing full-length halftime shows at Fighting Bees football home games.