JOHNSON CITY – (March 10, 2022) Leaders from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) recently visited the ETSU esports arena to talk with staff about gaming, partnerships and possible new opportunities for college students.
The NJCAA is the governing body for two-year sports programs and recently set up a governing body for esports programs at two-year schools.
Dr. Christopher Parker, president and CEO of NJCAA, and Jeff White, vice president for Compliance, Legal, Diversity and IT, met with Head Coach Jeff Shell to learn more about ETSU’s esports program and to see the training facility, which includes the new 32-foot video wall.
“We’re here to really just to learn about ETSU's program,” Parker said. “It’s certainly been broadcast as one of the best and premier programs in the country, so we're here to talk about what partnerships and relationships look like, and see their footprint, their facilities, and what they’ve done. They have done incredible work in just three years.”
They also discussed potential opportunities for two-year and four-year institutions to build collaborative relationships.
Northeast State Community College is in the process of creating its own esports program and attended Wednesday’s meeting to meet with NJCAA.
During the meeting, the leaders discussed ways for students at two-year institutions to get into four-year programs, professional development for current faculty, and other education opportunities for esports players.
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