With the recent craze of esports continuing to expand into the collegiate sports landscape, George Mason University is keen on building a winning program. In just a short period of time, the Patriots have put together several elite squads across multiple games.
Currently, they’re boasting 130 competitors at the varsity level, and in their first year with an all-woman team, the Patriots have something special in the works.
Chris Kumke, an MBA candidate at GMU and one of the program’s student founders, envisions big things for GMU esports. As a former soccer player at Shenandoah University and athletic trainer, Kumke wants to apply that same mindset, preparation, and strategy to the esports program at GMU.
“There’s currently a streaming schedule, broadcasting schedule, and different team schedules for each varsity squad. So, we try to make the most of our offseason which takes place during the summer while working in some scrimmages and holding a few practices each day,” Kumke said.
Kumke also hopes to build lasting connections within the GMU esports team as they continue to grow with each season. With his coaching acumen and winning mentality, Kumke knows that he’s quickly become a part of something huge at GMU. He feels that they’ve already achieved so much, but there’s still plenty he can do to push their esports players to the next level.
“Helping the students and encouraging them to develop their skills and build them up. It’s very similar to athletics and how everyone starts small and goes from there. Hopefully, they’ll have their own studio, stadium, or space to eventually create more partnerships and grow as athletes,” Kumke said.
“This way all the players and competitors will be able to build their brands, so they’ll have a well-rounded experience during their time with the program. GMU currently hosts live broadcasts four days a week and it has high viewership (60 views per day/match) and at this rate we’ll gradually build a strong following and fan base,” Kumke said.
Another member of the program who’s seen plenty of perks with GMU esports is Patrick Meinen, who’s currently the player-manager for their Overwatch varsity squad. Previously having gotten into gaming in high school, Meinen was drawn to playing video games at a competitive level. However, he was unable to start a club team at his high school.
So, coming entering his freshman year at Mason, Meinen earned C team honors, and over the past few years, he’s worked his way up to the varsity squad. Meinen also fully commits to esports when he’s not busy with his classes and does all he can to contribute to and keep his team on their A-game.
“Participating in scrimmages three times per week from 3 to 10 p.m., working on synergies and team chemistry, and always playing whenever we can get on is vital to our success,” Meinen said.
GMU aims to reign supreme in the collegiate esports realm, and Meinen knows this all too well as they’ve already competed in a few tournaments and have their sights set on one specific opponent.
“One school we really want to beat is Northwood University at the NAEC (North-Atlantic E-sports Conference) and we’ll be looking to upset them as they’re widely considered the number one team in the nation,” Meinen said.
“We’ll also be competing in the MAEC (Mid-Atlantic E-sports Conference) again where we’ve previously seen some success,” Meinen said.
As they work tirelessly to stay ahead of the competition, the Patriots will continue to build a unique and committed esports program where they hope to win several championships across multiple video games in the near future.