Penn College esports coach elected to national board

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — The head coach of Pennsylvania College of Technology’s nascent esports team will have a voice in shaping policy for the national association that champions varsity-level competition.

Members of the National Association of College Esports elected Joshua D. Young, a learning systems administrator at the college and founding coach of the school’s esports program, to its board of directors during the organization’s recent national conference in Harrisburg.

NACE bills itself as the only governing body for collegiate esports. The nonprofit association began in 2016 with six members. Today, nearly 150 colleges and universities, including Penn College, belong to the organization.

“It is the enthusiasm of our student-athletes this past year that motivated me to be part of the landscape that will structure collegiate esports,” Young said. “I feel Penn College is the perfect match for building a top-tier esports program, and being fully involved with NACE will be extremely useful in that endeavor.”

Esports is defined as competitive multiplayer video games often viewed by nonparticipants.  According to market research firm Newzoo, esports global revenues in 2018 were about $906 million, a 38.2% increase from the previous year.

Colleges and universities are a major source of growth for esports, thanks to students’ inherent interest in gaming. Esports competitions featuring college students have been broadcast on ESPN.

“In this new growing landscape of esports, it’s great to see Josh and Penn College at the forefront with his appointment to the NACE board,” said John D. Vandevere, director of athletics. “We are excited to see the impact that esports will have on our campus and with our students.”

Young’s term on the 10-person board is for three years.

Penn College began competing in esports last spring with about 60 students, representing a variety of majors. Team members compete with one another to secure the limited number of spots to represent the college at tournaments.

For the coming season, Young expects Penn College to compete in five games: Overwatch, League of Legends, Hearthstone, Rocket League and iRacing.

“My long-term goal is to elevate this program to compete with the top-level teams in NACE,” Young said.

For more about Penn College Athletics, visit www.pctwildcats.com.

For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.