Does the new space enhance IC’s position in the esports higher education landscape? Estabrook says yes. “This facility jumped us up a couple levels. When we started talking about this during the pandemic, I would frankly say we were a little behind, and now we’ve very much caught up.” He added, “Our advantage is our content creation. What we do well here and what we’ve won awards for, year in year out, are the production facilities and operations, ICTV, IC radio. That’s a space we can really lean into with esports. It helps that the club has a couple trophies in the case already.”
That creative energy can help interested students create pathways into the industry. Manny Sanchez, the alumnus who suggested livestreaming esports in lieu of football games during the pandemic, has already written his own success story. An associate broadcast producer for Riot Games—the developer behind Valorant , League of Legends , and some of the biggest titles in the industry—he also won an Emmy in 2023 for Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage.
Estabrook, who teaches an advanced sports broadcast class and advises sports media students, noted that the facility is a space for students to experiment and find their own voices in the industry. “One of the first things I tell students is their best friends are those lesser-known sports like lacrosse and even, for mainstream American audiences anyway, soccer or hockey. It’s a crowded field in football and basketball around here, but in my experience, knowing those other sports can be a real advantage when they’re looking to get into the business, and there’s always, always room for a caster in a video game. You can always log on and find a game to cast. And just get good at that. Get your reps up. We have alum who are in that space now. It’s a great way to get started and build your reel.”
“There’s so much tremendous opportunity for Ithaca College to become a leader in this space,” Lindberg concurred. “I’m incredibly enthusiastic and optimistic for what IC can achieve, and not just on a competitive level. If you look at all the things that make Ithaca College great, from communications, theater, video production, broadcasting, content creation … I just see a powerhouse that could be ready to go and activated in such a way that taps into not just the talents of students but also their passions.”
It’s not only casters that IC’s esports program needs; it’s more gamers.
Austin recalled that last year’s championship Rocket League team might have posted a perfect season, but it had to forfeit one game because a player wasn’t available, and they could not seat an entire team.
Because the NECC creates and assigns brackets based on teams’ overall skill levels, new players will find the right skill levels at which they can compete. They can also play immediately. As long as there are enough players to fill a team, no one will have to put in time on the bench.
Austin said, “We’re always looking to have more teams. If we have enough people to make another team, we’ll make another team and not have people sitting on the sidelines. If more people want to play, if more people want to participate and see what it’s like to be on a team, they absolutely can and will.”
New players will find themselves competing against colleges and universities across the nation, and not just in Division III. The NECC pits gamers from juggernauts like the University of Connecticut against students from colleges like IC and everything in between.