MILWAUKEE — We all know about Marquette basketball, but how about Marquette esports?
The school announced that Marquette Athletics will be the first major conference institution in NCAA Division 1 to add an esports program in its athletic department.
Beginning in the fall of 2019, organized video gaming will begin in Milwaukee.
According to the news release, Marquette's varsity esports team will be run like any other varsity sport. There will be tryouts, a coach will be hired to run regular practices and the team will travel to tournaments to represent the school.
“Being named after an explorer means it’s in Marquette’s DNA to define the opportunities of tomorrow and ensure we’re anticipating what future students will expect,” said President Michael R. Lovell in the release.
Marquette has had an esports club team of about 40 students since 2015. The majority of its players are from STEM fields of study, which represents Marquette at Big East-sponsored esports tournaments.
The school also says that athletics will work closely with the Klinger College of Arts and Sciences, due to all of the computer science, physics and mathematics involved in producing this new way of hands-on learning.
