An exciting venture is on the horizon for Bethany. A new, nationally-sanctioned collegiate eSports team is being added to the campus in the fall of 2019. Sanctioned eSports is offered at some 600 colleges and universities across the nation as a club activity. Bethany is taking its program to a “higher level” by joining the National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) as a varsity program.
Bethany President Gene Pfeifer remarked, “The addition of an eSports program is a great opportunity for Bethany to offer both quality academic programs, and the chance to compete in varsity gaming.”
The director of the eSports program is Lucas Fricke, who also teaches languages (German, Spanish), and the team’s head coach is alumnus Seth Grabow (’15) Production Studio Specialist at Bethany. Fricke brings solid gaming experience as director, he was a top 1% League of Legends contestant at one time.
Those interested in learning more about Viking eSports are invited to attend a special kick-off event for the program with comments from President Pfeifer, eSports Director Lucas Fricke, and Vice President of Student Affairs Ted Manthe on Tuesday, April 23, at 7 p.m. in Bethany’s Honsey Hall Room 103 located at 700 Luther Drive in Mankato.