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Thomas More University launches esports for Saints, joins ever-growing intercollegiate athletics program


By Andy Furman
NKyTribune reporter

Every match is at home.

There’s no traveling involved.

Yet, surprisingly there’s no home-court advantage.

Photos by Andy Furman/NKyTribune

As for pre-season training – forget the running and weight lifting.

In fact, there’s little to no sweating for the newest varsity team members at Thomas More University.

Welcome to esports for the Saints.

Esports will join the ever-growing Saints intercollegiate athletics program in January.

The program will be part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).

“Introducing esports adds a new dimension to the student experience as we seek to offer a sport closely tied to technology, said President Joe Chillo, when making the announcement. “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.”

And it presents a new challenge for first-year coach Derrick McBride.

The 30-year-old McBride – a Northern Kentucky native and graduate of the University of the Cumberlands – is no stranger to coaching – or esports.

“I started as a basketball coach in 2013,” he told the Northern Kentucky Tribune, “And switched to esports in 2019.”


Th switch proved successful as McBride not only established the esports program at South Dearborn High School; in 2020 he became head coach at Beechwood High School and led the Tigers to the 2021 Play Vs Cup Championship in Madden and the 2022 KHSAA State Rocket League Championship.

Esports is simply a form of competition using video games, McBride explains. Esports, he says, often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions – individually or as teams.

“We’ll start with three games,” McBride said, “League of Legends, Super Smash Pros and Rocket League.”

League of Legends is the online battle arena video game, “The key,” says the coach, “is to destroy the towers from the opposing team. And, you’re doing the fighting versus time.”

Super Smash Pros is a series of crossover fighting games and Rocket League players are in control of a rocket-powered car which they will be using to direct a ball towards the opponent’s net.

McBride said that Thomas More, Northern Kentucky University and Mount St. Joseph University all have varsity esports squads – while the University of Cincinnati has a club team.

“The varsity teams have a coach,” he said, “and scheduling is never a problem. All the competitions are done on-line.”

As for the esports skill level, McBride says there are five divisions – The Star League; Varsity One and Two, and Open One and Two.

As for recruiting and forming his first roster, McBride says he has about 15 competitors on the squad to date. “I haven’t turned anyone away just yet – male and female.


“These esports competitors are extremely bright; mostly IT and science kids,” McBride said, “and participating with us in esports certainly gives all of them a feeling of being involved.”

With a varsity sport.

Each team member will earn a varsity letter, and many will be on at least a partial scholarship.

“There’s a tremendous buzz on campus for our start,” McBride said. “Recruiting is quite easy. There’s an even playing field, not like major college football. Every game has on-line stats, which makes recruiting very simple.”

Coach Derrick McBride

McBride says he’ll stream matches on-line, note scores and times of various players. “There’s no secrets here,” he said, “all the scores are on Twitch with times.”

Thomas More has its own esports competition room in the main Administration Building on the Crestview Hills campus.

“Esports is he second-most viewed sport in America – behind the National Football League,” says McBride.

The esports Saints of Thomas More University will don their uniforms — yes, they have jerseys – on or about January.

And don’t look now, but McBride says he thinks they’ll be commentators and interviews for the upcoming season.

These Saints already have an advantage – they’ll be playing their matches at home.


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