VPCC adding esports in fall 2025

Chris Moore recalls being limited to 30 minutes a day for video games when he was a child. Now, as the athletics director at Virginia Peninsula Community College, he has added gaming as a sport and will be helping recruit students to fill out the team, many of whom spend much more than 30 minutes a day in front of their consoles.

"I tell parents all the time (gaming) can actually help them matriculate through college. If it pays for a scholarship, let them keep doing it," he said.

He added parents of someone interested in basketball, football or other "traditional" sports wouldn't limit their kid to 30 minutes a day to hone their skills.

"You'd tell them to go get two or three hours in. I think the same thing for gaming," Moore said.

Moore has hired William Morris to head the program, which will begin competing this fall.

"I'm an avid gamer myself so it's right down my alley," said Morris, an assistant women's basketball coach and athletics department administrator, too. "I'm really big into technology and video games."

One of his first duties will be to organize a meeting for students interested in participating. That, in turn, will help determine what games they will play. There are different tiers of competition depending on what games you play. In addition, the course load a student carries plays a role as there is a tier for part-time students.

Among the games offered are "Fortnite," "Overwatch 2," "Rocket League," and "Super Smash Bros."

Morris has the spring semester to do research and recruit for the College's newest sport. The goal is to join the NJCAA eventually, but that could take a few years,

Since 2022, the College has added women's volleyball, men's soccer, men's and women's cross country, and men's and women's track and field.

Why esports?

"Inclusiveness, because you can do male and female together. Also, with the growth of STEM, gaming (and) technology," Moore said.

He also has heard from current VPCC student-athletes who want to participate in esports.

"Our students love gaming. They take their video game systems with them on the road," Moore said. "With it growing in the NJCAA, it just makes sense."

It's far different from when he was young.

"I think it's starting to open up eyes a bit, parents, athletics administrators, but also just young people," Moore said. "I think it's going to open up the scope of what we can do here."

Anyone interested in joining the esports team should email Morris (morrisw@vpcc.edu), Moore (moorec@vpcc.edu), or athletics@vpcc.edu.

For more information on VPCC, visit www.vpcc.edu. For more information on VPCC athletics, visit www.vpccgators.com.