EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — El Paso Community College announced the creation of an esports program on Monday, Sept. 8.
Officials are touting it as a way of providing even greater educational opportunities and engagement levels to students in the El Paso area.
The college will now participate in activities and competitions with more than 200 other institutions across the nation sanctioned by the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), EPCC said.
Esports is short for electronic sports, a form of organized competition using video games, and is popular worldwide.
It’s a fast growing “non-traditional” sport, which requires careful planning, precise timing, and skillful execution, in the form of individual or team competition, EPCC said.
There are different leagues and tournaments, much like traditional sports, with the aim of finding the top player or team in a category.
Top games include Halo, League of Legends, Call of Duty, Madden 24, Rocket League, Street Fighter, and Mario Kart, to name a few.
“Everything we do is to enhance the potential of our students,” EPCC President William Serrata said. “We are committed to ensuring every student has an opportunity to succeed —academically, personally, and professionally. Whether it’s through rigorous academic programs, robust support services, or meaningful extracurricular opportunities, we strive to create an environment where students can thrive and achieve. Esports is another example of that commitment.”
The idea of esports was first proposed to the EPCC Board of Trustees by the EPCC Student Government Association which expressed their interest and the value of this type of program.
“Our board has a laser-focus on student success — both in academics and athletics,” Brian Haggerty, chair of the EPCC Board of Trustees, said. “Our decision to support esports reflects that same commitment. We see esports not just as a game, but as an opportunity — one that aligns with our vision of excellent experiences for students.”
The NJCAAE is working to positively impact institutions and their students through the use of esports and gaming as well as creating a sustainable environment that gives students the tools they need to build successful careers, EPCC said.
Matt King, NJCAAE director of esports, says the NJCAAE National Office is extremely excited to welcome EPCC as one of the first adopters of collegiate esports in its service area and looks forward to building a strong foundation of innovation for the region.
“Esports are important to collegiate athletics and a student’s educational journey as a whole as esports connects to an untapped audience of potential and current students alike who previously had no strong connection to furthering their education,” King said. “Additionally, esports offer a wide variety of academic and experiential learning opportunities that can give students real world experience outside of just playing games. This helps to build a well-rounded experience for students, better preparing them for their future career.”
EPCC will start competing in tournaments later this fall.
The Tejanos esports team will be coached by Interim Coach Adan Lara and is currently expanding its team of epsorts student athletes.
One member of the team, art major Dinamaris Guevara Dominici, is excited about this new opportunity at EPCC.
“Through epsorts, I have been able to meet great people with skills in their games, learn to work as a team, help each other to be better every day, express ourselves freely in our passions and hobbies, and now share a goal, which is to win major competitions and raise EPCC’s profile in e-sports,” Dominici said. “Perhaps we are all the first to start this, but we won’t be the last. I know we will achieve great results, great victories, and great teammates.”
Lara also expresses similar optimism and plans to build a strong epsorts team for the college. Lara, a Burges High school alumnus, received his master’s in biological sciences from UTEP in 2016. He has been an adjunct biology professor and then a kinesiology lab supervisor at EPCC since 2016.
He has more than 10 years’ experience in online gaming and esports.
“For me, esports has always been more than just competition — it’s about passion, teamwork, and opportunity,” Lara said. “I’ve been playing since I was a kid, and along the way I’ve had the privilege of helping small teams grow and succeed. Now, I’m grateful to bring that same energy and experience to EPCC. My vision for this team is simple: to build a program that not only wins, but also lasts. I want EPCC to lead the way in esports — not just in El Paso, but across community colleges nationwide.”
Esports is incredibly popular, with more people getting involved every year. In 2022, there were 532 million esports viewers worldwide, and that number is expected to grow over the next few years, EPCC said.
As esports expands at EPCC throughout the upcoming semesters, the Valle Verde campus student union will eventually host gaming tournaments, accessible to in-person and remote competition, with upgrades to technology and infrastructure, EPCC said. It will be equipped with gaming PC’s and other devices to be available for students.
For more information about NJCAA esports, visit: https://www.epcc.edu/Services/Athletics and https://www.njcaaesports.org/
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