Finger Lakes News Radio features FLCC esports leaders

The FLCC esports team, which has 80 members and is in its third year, was recently featured on the radio.

Michael Van Etten, assistant professor of modern language and coordinator of esports at FLCC, and Francesca “Frankie” Dean, a student leadership board member for esports, recently talked about the College’s varsity team with Finger Lakes News Radio host Paul Szmal.

FLCC is in its third year of esports with a team of 80 men and women. The College’s Board of Trustees approved it as a varsity team in February 2019, due to high student interest and a recognition that students who are more engaged in their college experience are more likely to graduate. FLCC was the first to offer a varsity esports team in Region III of the National Junior Collegiate Athletic Association.

Esports was one of three FLCC sports that were able to compete in fall 2020 before a COVID vaccine was available. Today, FLCC fields 14 teams across the platforms of Overwatch, Valorant, Rainbow Six Siege, Rocket League, Smash Ultimate, Hearthstone, and Mario Kart 8.

National Junior College Athletic Association Esports, the governing body for the sport, currently has over 607 teams representing 1,424 students from more than 80 member institutions.