As a freshman at Savannah College of Art & Design, Michael French noticed a local Super Smash Bros. community floundering and decided to start operating his own video game tournaments. Now, at age 26, he’s overseeing the launch of Samford University’s Esports program, an ambitious leap into video game competition.

French’s official title is esports facility manager and coach, though the role is equal parts recruiter, scheduler, ambassador, project manager, event organizer and motivator.

Even before students got their first glimpse of the esports studio inside the new Campus Recreation, Wellness and Athletics Complex, French worked for weeks to mobilize gamers via the Discord social media platform commonly used by gaming communities. This wasn’t merely a callout for experienced players who dominate their friendly circles in Rocket League, but also a concerted effort to convince newbies to check out the studio’s 24 high-end gaming stations and, hopefully, become more engaged.

“It can be very intimidating when you’re not sure if you’re any good at a game,” French said. “But the gamers who start off less skilled and suddenly develop, those are my favorite type of people to watch. There’s that moment when it clicks for those people, and you realize they are going to be insanely talented.”

French recalls handily beating a college classmate at Smash Bros.—the same classmate who has since become an elite national player. The gaming landscape is filled with teens who started playing casually before making leaps into top-level competitions. French hopes to generate enthusiasm during fall semester, gathering a dedicated group of gamers before Samford’s team begins competing in tournaments next spring. Students in the new technology-rich game design major, the field French studied in college, could represent a talent pool.

“If you’re building a brand-new basketball team entirely sourced from your existing student base, you’re not going to expect them to make March Madness the first year. You’re building from scratch,” he said. “The short-term goal is to get some sort of competitive base going.”

While some of world’s best players are hired as online tutors, French admits some of the best instruction for esports occurs peer-to-peer. The best coaching he ever received didn’t cost him a cent, but came from a roommate who noticed an exploitable flaw in his gameplay at certain intervals. His coaching tip was simple: attach a sticky note to the screen to remind French about avoiding the pitfall.

“If you’re building a brand-new basketball team entirely sourced from your existing student base, you’re not going to expect them to make March Madness the first year. You’re building from scratch. The short-term goal is to get some sort of competitive base going.”

Samford’s esports club has been approved to compete in six games, including Fortnite, Valorant, Overwatch and League of Legends. Then there are spectator-friendly titles—the brawling megahit Smash Bros. and cars playing soccer in Rocket League—for which French anticipates viewers watching from outside studio.

“That studio has been wired to several areas throughout that rec center. It’s fantastic,” he said. This will allow for spectator experiences for all students who are fans of the team.

Samford Esports is launching with a sophisticated facility designed to meet gamers’ preferences.

“It will have a state-of-the-art competition room, casual play area, and console area,” said Samford CIO Joseph McCormick. “We were meticulous in even the smallest details and spoke with many students as we developed our plans. I am thrilled that this new facility will offer a new way for Samford to extend our Christian mission, vision, and values into collegiate esports. The new Samford Esports facility will offer a structured, yet flexible, environment that will encourage the growth of student community building. And come spring of 2025, it will allow us to move into competitive play.”

As with traditional sports, there’s the expectation of players attending mandatory practices and maintaining GPA requirements. In keeping with Samford’s mission of delivering a Christ-centered experience on a close-knit campus, the esports program is about expanding perspectives and making meaningful relationships.

“The community aspect is by far the most valuable part of esports and gaming,” French said. “The esports program is about providing students with new opportunities to demonstrate their God-given talents and generating lifelong connections.”