The University of Hawaiʻi at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ esports program is looking to win back-to-back collegiate esports program of the year awards, and it needs your help! The public can vote for the team on the website until November 20. The winner will be announced at an event in Las Vegas on November 28.
UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ was named the 2022 best collegiate esports program by , and is one of 15 finalists this year. This is the third consecutive year that the program has been a finalist among the best collegiate esports programs in North America. The winner will be selected by an esports panel of experts (75%) and public vote (25%).
“UH esports is leading the charge around international and global esports in the collegiate level,” said UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s esports Program Director Nyle Sky Kauweloa. “We have students from across our system that are doing wonderful things at each of their campuses, and so for what we¡¯re doing right now, the state should be very proud of what we¡¯ve accomplished, not only in the fact that we attract very dedicated and excited students to the collegiate esports program, but we¡¯re also establishing partnerships both domestically in the United States but also partnerships in East Asia.”
Program accomplishments
UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ esports has skyrocketed since it began in 2019, becoming the first higher education institution to host professional Overwatch League events. Among its major accomplishments over the past year, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s Apex Legends team has become one of the top in the nation. The program sent several students to intern in South Korea with Gen.G, one of the largest esports companies in the world. UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ has placed a major emphasis on the Women of Esports organization, which was created to increase inclusion in the esports program, and has launched a new team for the game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang.
“We put all this time into the program and to having our work shown, and people appreciate it,” said Tuan Jr. Pham, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Valorant team lead. “It seems really cool and really fun to see how the program¡¯s expanding.”
Madeline Gilbert, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ esports player support coordinator, added, “We¡¯re really one massive team here so it¡¯s not the individuals, it¡¯s not leadership, it¡¯s all of us working together. And I think everyone deserves it.”
UH esports receives substantial funding from the . Visit the UH esports team¡¯s and pages. More stories on UH¡¯s esports program.
