This fall, Northwood Esports coaches are keenly aware they have a reputation to defend in the current landscape of competitive collegiate esports.
“As the first collegiate esports dynasty in the nation, there are a lot of expectations for Northwood Esports to stay competitive and bring home new championships,” noted Assistant Esports Coach Aden Frosch. “At a bare minimum, we expect our varsity rosters to make the grand finals.”
Since its founding in 2019, Northwood Esports has won two world championships, 27 national championships, 59 conference championships, and 25 tournament wins.
“Students come to Northwood to either become the best or learn from the best,” Frosch explained. “The Northwood University name carries a lot of weight in the esports space. Students come here to continue our line of championships and help further legitimize collegiate esports by being a part of something great. Over the past year, the program has brought in students who could be starters at any other school. But they chose to come to Northwood because we have the resources to help them hone their craft and position them to play professionally for the global esports market, valued at billions of dollars.”
Going pro
The current “path to pro” for esports in North America is very unsustainable and unstable.
“Many people looking to ‘go pro’ will often devote all they can to be the best, but the current rewards are heavily outweighed by the risks and sacrifices made,” Frosch explained. “Collegiate esports has slowly become the ‘path to pro’ pipeline as the competition increases because aspiring pros have recognized the value in working in a steady, consistent environment, as well as earning a degree as a fallback if they choose to retire from competition.”
Collegiate esports has also been a great “path to pro” for students looking to work in the business side of esports.
“Schools like Northwood let students manage teams, work with social media, and broadcast matches, gain experience, and prepare for internships and other career opportunities within esports,” Frosch explained.
Since its inception, Northwood Esports has had 13 players sign to play for professional esports teams — and Frosch and other Northwood coaches anticipate Northwood will continue to be a bridge between collegiate and professional play.
2024 Northwood Esports rosters announced
Northwood Esports recently announced the official rosters of its teams competing in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) and respective developer leagues this fall semester.
This current season, which began Sept. 16, will see the following Northwood Esports entities competing in the following leagues:
• Valorant will compete in College Valorant (CVAL), run by the Riot Scholastic Association of America (RSAA)
• League of Legends will compete in The College League of Legends (CLOL) Championship, run by the RSAA
• Rocket League will compete in the Collegiate Rocket League, run by Psyonix
• Overwatch 2 will compete in the Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming, run by Activision Blizzard
The varsity teams will also compete in the Playfly College Esports, Open Premier Division.
Northwood Esports looks forward to a successful season, as players and coaches aim to cement Northwood University as a powerhouse in collegiate esports by bringing home more championship wins. In addition to its talented players, Northwood Esports is fueled by dedicated coaches who maintain championship rosters while developing up-and-coming talents to create and define a new generation of champions.
Northwood Varsity Rosters
Varsity Rocket League
- Stephen “HockE” Hoelbinger – TSM
- Kadin “Zineel” Zineelabidine – Formerly Cloud9
- Gwil “Creamz” Muir – TSM
- Team Manager: Ryan “Slew” Sebek
- Team Manager: Schon “Schon” Hale – XO Esports
Varsity Valorant
- Braden “Dip” Dippel – SaD Esports
- Benjamin “ripbenji” Park
- Micheal “Dark3st” Herrera – SaD Esports
- Hunter “Furbsa” McMillan – SaD Esports
- Anthony “Toozy” De Leon
- Ramiro “Vyx” Ortiz
- Coach: Joseph “Coach Joe” Breuer – SaD Esports
Varsity League of Legends
- Sunwoo “Cozy” Jung
- William “Will” Cummins
- Ethan “Reppy” Fu
- James “Enthralled” Hernandez
- Luis “Clyde” Ferrera
- Coach: Ian “Ido” McCormick – Fear X Starforge
- Coach: Lin “Makrys” Long
Varsity Overwatch 2
- John “Icy” Kazura – TSM
- Donovan “Cowman711” Koch
- Mason “Boat” Earle
- Haven “Haven” Healy – Fluffy Aimers
- Christopher “cjay” Smith – NTMR (Professional Overwatch Organization)
- Joseph “Lep” Cambriani – TSM
- Coach: James “Faustus” Frye – TSM
Northwood Academy Team Rosters
Academy Valorant
- Thomas “t1red” Hall
- Matthew “SoraFTW” Sorrentino
- Alexander “Clouded” Hernandez
- Henry “Poolii” Philipp
- Elijah “Morc” Huett
Academy Overwatch
- Braiden “Braiden” McNay
- Lee “LeeBa” Taylor
- Ciaran “Devilwood” Deller
- Alice “Cyrina” Slack
- Walker “ChefCornbread” Culler
- Manager: Shelby “Friinge” O’Dell
Academy League of Legends
- Samuel “Chesando” Desando
- Daniel “Sunfire Aegis” Afton
- Andrew “Deception” Lemanski
- Austin “Heroux4” James
- Liam “Nifty” Marzorati
High Schoolers invited to Weekly Tournaments in Northwood Esports Arena
Every week, Northwood Esports invites high schoolers to come to the Northwood Esports Arena for Super Smash Bros Ultimate tournaments. Northwood Esports also hosts an esports open house for high schoolers each spring.
“Outside of these opportunities, students are welcome to schedule a tour of Northwood University to meet Coach Jacob Jacob and me personally,” Frosch stated. “They can also reach out to us via an online form on our Northwood Esports site.”
