This is the full text of NACE's 10/15/2018 press release.

Thomas College announces it will launch a varsity eSports program – among the very first in New England. Thomas has joined the National Association of Collegiate eSports and will begin competing in regional and national eSports tournament competitions this spring.

“Thomas College has been an innovator in many areas. Esports puts us at the leading-edge of co-curricular programming for our students,” said President Laurie Lachance. “This investment will support the goals of our strategic plan, as varsity esports will help college-wide recruitment and retention, bolster enrollment in our technology degree offerings (cyber security, computer science, and computer information systems), increase student engagement, and build and enhance workforce skills that employers demand including collaboration, critical thinking, strategy development and the ability to plan and execute.”

Esports is competitive, organized video gaming, with tournament competitions taking place all over the world – at the professional, collegiate and high school levels. Esports is a billion-dollar industry that saw 40 percent growth last year.

Varsity esports members at Thomas – and elsewhere – are considered competitive athletes. Team members will have a coach, uniforms, and will practice and compete with top-of-the-line equipment including Alienware area-51 Threadripper computers, and individual headsets – while also traveling to regional esports competitions.

Thomas College is able to launch this program with support from Bill and Joan Alfond.

Thomas College is a proud member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).

For more information about Thomas College’s esports program, visit www.thomas.edu/esports.

About Thomas College: Celebrating its 125^th anniversary, Thomas College offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in programs ranging from business, entrepreneurship, and technology, to education, criminal justice, and psychology. Its Guaranteed Job Program, the first of its kind in the nation, is built on students’ academic, career, and leadership preparation. Thomas is also home to the Harold Alfond Institute for Business Innovation and the Center for Innovation in Education. In 2017, Money Magazine ranked Thomas 23^rd of all colleges and universities in the country for adding the most value to their degrees, and data reported by the New York Times ranks Thomas in the top 15 percent of all higher education institutions in the U.S. for upward mobility of its graduates. For more information, visit www.thomas.edu or MacKenzie Riley Young at pr@thomas.edu or 207-859-1313.