Concord University’s Call of Duty esports team won the Collegiate Call of Duty “Goodbye Black Ops 4” tournament Oct. 19. CU claimed victory in the national competition with full 3-0 sweeps, with a 15-0 record to end the tournament.
The win comes in the first tournament action for Concord Esports since announcing formation of its inaugural varsity team – Call of Duty – this summer.
On the way to the crown, Concord beat Purdue, Florida State (twice), Illini Esports, Utah, and SAU. Concord competed in the event from the University’s esports training facility in the Nick Rahall Technology Center on the Athens campus.
Members of Concord’s winning Call of Duty varsity team are Jamie Nickell (WV), Andrew Thompson (VA), Chase Daffron (TN), Niko Thibeault (CT) and Brandon Ridgeway (WV).
“We knew going into the tournament we would probably win it, we were incredibly confident.” Concord Esports Head Coach Jacob Neerland said. “No one wanted to win more than we did, and the 15-0 map count is pretty good proof of that.”
“Our games were streamed as the main event throughout the entire tournament, and the casters seemed pretty impressed with our synergy as a team,” Neerland said. “Our sub machine players Jamie Nickell and Andrew Thompson especially couldn’t be stopped. Everyone on the team played exceptionally, but Jamie and Andrew kept every opponent on the back foot. This opened up a lot of options for what we could do and let our main AR Brandon dictate every move our opponents could make.
“Finally, Chase and Niko kept us grounded, coming up clutch multiple times when we needed a big play. Overall, I’m incredibly proud of what such a young team was able to pull off. I think that speaks to the level of talent we have on this team and I’m excited to see what we can do moving forward,” Neerland said.
Concord holds the distinction of being the first public college or university in West Virginia to offer varsity esports to its students. Call of Duty is one of three teams Concord has registered with the National Association of Collegiate Esports. League of Legends and Overwatch are also part of CU’s esports competitive lineup.
For additional information on Concord University’s esports program, contact Jacob Neerland atjneerland@concord.edu or 304-384-5320.
