The William Peace University ESports team has stepped into the big leagues.
On September 25, 2023, the Pacers’ program joined the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and will begin its fall season next week. Peace launched Esports teams in the fall of 2021. That same fall, the university added the Esports and Gaming Administration major and an Esports Lab on campus.
More than 300 schools across the US & Canada compete in the NACE, founded in 2016, in various esports.
Before joining the NACE, Peace played exhibitions against teams nationwide. Now that Peace is a part of the NACE, they’ll fight for a spot atop the league standings all season for a shot at a championship at the end of the year.
“It’s really important because it gives us something organized to compete in every week, something to train for,” ESports Coach Coleman Arehart said. “It also gives us schools that are comparable in skill level.”
NC State, for example, recently joined the NACE, so some teams are not only on the same skill level but right here in the same region as Peace’s ESports team. With more than 300 schools involved in the NACE, Arehart and his team like the idea of having so many options for opponents.
There are different leagues teams can play in, but the NACE was the right choice for Peace.
“I think the biggest thing for me is the competition matchmaking,” Arehart said. “I like the idea that we can sign up and have competition that is so close to us, you know, have those close matches.”
Arehart also likes the fact that NACE offers a variety of games “that we care about.”
“Their platform where we are, you have matches set and we communicate with other schools,” Arehart said. “It’s established and it works. It’s easy to interact with and build your teams on.”
The Rocket League team has made some deep runs in the NACE playoffs the last couple of years but has come up just short of the finals.
Rocket League has its first match on September 23. Arehart feels good about that group this season.
“I think we have a genuine chance at winning our entire division this year,” Arehart said. “This year I think we have more players at the high skill level and more of a chance of staying in the games when we start down and we have a chance to come back.”
