Esports Program Welcomes League of Legends Team

The Doors are open at the USU Gaming Arena in the University Student Union every day. But on Wednesdays, it is operated by the newest top dog to the program.

Hunter Scott Shurtliff is the newest manager for Fresno State’s League of Legends team, the video game that is a 5-on-5 arena game that focuses heavily on team play.

“I got a message on Discord by Jacob (Fresno State Esports Graphic Designer) asking me if I wanted to take over in leading the team,” said Hunter on how he got the opportunity to manage the League of Legends team. “So I just stepped up and said I wanted to because I wanted to get involved and I am a business management student so I thought it would be good experience.”

League of Legends is one of the top Esports games in the world, having the largest player and viewer base of any Esport. Yet, even with its popularity, very few knew that the Fresno State Esports Program played the game until tonight when the League of Legends team makes its NECC debut against the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

This match is a chance for everyone to see this new roster, which also brings in a lot of fresh faces.

“We’re going to be put in a good tier and we are going to surprise a lot of people,” says Joseph ‘KCKO’ Athanasiou, the team’s support player playing his first collegiate match tonight. “Compared to where they may expect us to be put up. I think our synergy is just amazing and I think we are going to have some good games and take a lot of people by surprise.”

Shurtliff has played an integral part in the team’s sudden resurgence, such as adding a new member in appointing coach Brett Scarborough.

“I’ve brought the actual team a little bit more together,” said Scarborough about the role he has played in the early portions of the preseason. “It seems like this year, the team is getting more chances to practice, getting more chances to play together. They are really starting to connect more and become friends so that they are able to actually communicate and play together like an actual team.”

Even though Shurtliff didn’t have any managerial experience, he has lived up to his role, not just by helping form the team but by creating a culture around the team–something that was missing even when he was a player last year.

The League of Legends team will have their match broadcast tonight at 8 p.m. PT on the Fresno State Esports Twitch channel.