E-Sports
Mustang Athletics is announcing the addition of Esports as the sixth varsity sport at Western Wyoming Community College (Western), with a scheduled launch in Fall 2025.
Esports is one of the fastest growing sports on college campuses. According to the National Junior College Athletics Association Esports (NJCAA-E), “there are more than 400 high school and 300 college and universities currently supporting Esports programs across North America and it is becoming clear that collegiate esports are paving the future of the Esports industry.” Competitions between schools occur fully online, and soon the Western Mustangs will be launching a co-ed team to practice and ultimately compete with other institutions from across the country.
Esports began gaining traction in the collegiate atmosphere in the early 2010s, as colleges and universities recognized the growing popularity of competitive gaming among students. Schools started forming official teams, legitimizing esports alongside traditional athletics. Today, collegiate esports programs continue, fostering both competition and career opportunities in the gaming industry.
“The addition of an Esports program within Mustang Athletics provides us with a great opportunity to extend the mission of Western Wyoming Community College to a wider audience,” said Dr. Lu Sweet, Western’s Athletic Director.
Esports student-athletes will follow the same eligibility requirements as other Mustang Athletes, including being full-time, degree-seeking students, maintaining eligible academic requirements, and progression towards degree completion.
Sweet said, “We look forward to identifying our first Head Coach and working alongside that person to help guide our strategies for recruiting and developing our student-athletes.”
The team will compete in an upgraded gaming arena inside the Western IS Lab on the Rock Springs campus. League affiliation and specific game titles will be determined with the hiring of a head coach.
If you are interested in joining our Esports team, whether you are a returning Western student or you will be a new student in the Fall, please contact athletics@westernwyoming.edu or Dr. Lu Sweet, Western’s Athletic Director at 307-382-1740.