CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. (June 9, 2022) — Thomas More University announces the launch of esports, which joins the Saints intercollegiate athletics programs during the 2022-2023 academic year. The program will be part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). Esports encompasses competitive, organized video gaming, which has emerged in recent years as one of the world’s most booming business ecosystems. While professional esport leagues have been popular for several years, the collegiate space is emerging as a new and vibrant platform for gamers. Thomas More esport athletes will put strategy skills to work, competing in game titles such as League of Nations, Rocket League, and Super Smash Brothers.

“Introducing esports adds a new dimension to the student experience as we seek to offer a sport closely tied to technology,” says Thomas More University President Joseph L. Chillo, LP.D. “The addition of esports enables the University to offer a new and exciting opportunity for our students who are interested in competing outside of traditional sports. As gaming technology continues to evolve, this experience will allow our students to develop new skills and the ability to integrate their liberal arts education into professional opportunities that exist today and those that have not yet been created.”

Thomas More expects the program’s inaugural year to attract 15 to 25 students, with the potential to grow to around 50 participants. These student athletes will compete against other colleges and universities as part of an intercollegiate esporting team, while also receiving a high-quality liberal arts education.

Thomas More Athletic Director, Terry Connor, looks forward to adding esports to the University’s roster of athletic programs, “I am excited to see Thomas More expanding its athletic offerings and giving even more students the opportunity to participate in intercollegiate sports through introducing the esports program.”

For more information about Thomas More University, visit www.thomasmore.edu.

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About Thomas More University

For 100 years, Thomas More has created a university for the student who wants to Be More, Do More, Seek More, Win More, Achieve More, and Create More. Since its founding in 1921, Thomas More has provided a mission-driven, liberal arts education that is based in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition. Students learn to harness the power of human reason to solve problems and discover truth, which allows them to begin the journey to become the person they were created to be. Entering into the second century, it’s time for More. Serving more than 2,000 students, Thomas More aspires to be the premier Catholic university in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky region, build upon its excellent return on investment (ranked #1 among private universities/colleges in Kentucky by MSN Money in 2021 and ranked #2 for long term gain in Kentucky by a 2022 Georgetown University study) and share with this generation the transformative power of the Thomas More experience. To find out more, visit thomasmore.edu.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyna Kelley, director of communications and PR, [email protected], 859.344.3309