Esports in higher education has become a cultural phenomenon that is taking college campuses all across the world by storm. SUNY Canton has established itself as a leader in collegiate esports for the North East U.S. with two ECAC championship titles, a varsity program with dedicated full-time staff, and a burgeoning esports population that is beginning to rival the size of traditional athletics on their campus. Attendants can learn how SUNY Canton created partnerships to evolve its program from 18 students playing three games to about 100 students playing 8 titles.
Presenter: Charles Murray
eSports Coordinator, SUNY Canton
Charles Murray is the coordinator for the SUNY Canton esports program and also oversees operations at the esports arena on campus. He is the coach for the Overwatch teams at Canton and has extensive esports experience. Murray is a grandmaster-rated Overwatch player maintaining a top 500 role in North America with a peak of top 200 last season. As a former K-12 educator he has the unique experience of having managed both High School and Collegiate programs at varying levels.