Big Games on a Little Campus: Locklin Newman Interviews Daniel O’Connor about Esports

The esports gaming club was established around three years ago, but there has been very little coverage of what goes on behind the scenes. I decided to take this opportunity to go over some of the features and aspects of the esports gaming club with Daniel O’Connor, systems analyst and esports coach.  I followed up with him via email after our last interview.

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LN: What are all the available games to play in the esports club, and how many members are there?

DO: We currently have “Rocket League,” “League of Legends,” “Overwatch 2,” “Hearthstone,” “Fortnite,” “Counter-Strike 2,” “Valorant,” and “Call of Duty.” Currently we have 35 players across everything, some participating in more than one game. Early on I never wanted to limit who could join as long as they were willing to put in time and effort, we are now getting to the point where within the next year or two we may have to have a rank minimum to join a roster. Other limitations would be me being the only person running the team, having too many more people than 35-40 it becomes a little too much for me to manage past that point as well as currently a limited number of machines for everyone to be able to practice and play matches on at the same time.

LN: How should students go about joining esports? 

DO: The easiest way is to reach out to myself at esports@pitt.edu or dao36@pitt.edu and set up a meeting with me to talk about the program and what the requirements are to join and make a roster. It isn’t a club exactly, it is more paralleled to a varsity sport, since the NCAA doesn’t regulate esports because they are a gray area. It is a tough definition to say one way or another depending on the school.

LN: What are your favorite aspects about the club? 

DO: I really enjoy the students and seeing their enthusiasm for the program and their fellow teammates. It is a great opportunity for them to compete at the college level doing something they really enjoy.

LN: What can you tell me about the tournaments available to the gamers, and are there any cash prizes involved? 

DO: The conference that we participate in does allow for prize money for some of their season ending tournaments after playing a regular season. This normally is rewarded in the form of scholarship money to the players as they are college-based conferences meaning you have to be a full-time university student to be participating in the conference. We normally don’t do specific tournaments. We participate in a conference that plays out with a 6-8 week regular season and then there is a playoff format for those who qualify. Depending on the player’s overall rating, if they win their playoff system then they are eligible to play in a playoff winners bracket as well.

LN: What is the most popular game amongst everybody in the esports community? 

DO: Currently the roster with the highest number of players is Overwatch 2 but both Rocket League and League of Legends have good interest as far as the team’s players.

LN: What is the likelihood of a gamer in esports for going professional and starting a successful gaming career? 

DO: There is always a chance if a player is good enough and willing to put in the time and hard work to continue to get better at the game. Just like any sport, there are a bunch of areas surrounding esports that they can make a career of; broadcasting, journalism, playing, coaching, marketing, etc. Since esports aren’t regulated like the more traditional sports, you are more likely to see really good players at D3 or D2 schools and not always going to your huge D1 schools to play. We have a player on one of our teams that has been an assistant coach for tier 2 tier 3 professional teams as well as national teams and a player that was globally ranked in the top 100 players for their game as well.

LN: What are some of the future changes or improvements you hope to see made in the club?

DO: I do have a few things in mind for down the road, such as an open house for students, faculty, and staff to come in and talk with our players and check out the space – this might go along with a potential watch party, as well as a 24-hour stream that we will be hosting and a few other fun fundraisers to keep a lookout for. We started in the fall semester in 2020 so we will be about 4 – 4 ½ years old by the end of this year. I have been working on trying to create a small college esports conference for schools around the area so that we have a similar competitive balance as well as more potential to be able to host in person matches vs other schools. That would be the biggest plan for us down the road.

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Overall, esports is a great opportunity to connect with other students and share a common interest in some of the most popular games this year. And who knows, if you’re good enough you might win some money, too. 

For more information, reach out to Dan O’Connor at esports@pitt.edu or dao36@pitt.edu.