College esports league gets favorable reception from school officials

MANILA, Philippines — Collegiate Center for Esports (CCE), the up-and-coming organized collegiate league for competitive gaming, has received a shot in the arm after getting an optimistic response from school officials in the country.

With traditional sports limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, esports has seen a boom in audience and participation.

And its growing popularity has prompted the heads of some of the biggest educational institutions in the country to acknowledge its potential.

"We have to adapt with changing times. We have to ride the trend," Arellano University athletics director Peter Cayco said.

"Esports give student-athletes to try out something new. It's inspiring in a sense," he added.

Once a pipe dream for aspiring esports athletes, a pathway for them to pursue greater heights in their craft is closer to reality.

The CCE gave a taste of what could happen with an established esports league in the college level last month with its Mobile Legends: Bang 1-on-1 exhibition matches featuring varsity athletes from select schools, which will then be followed by a 5-on-5 MLBB Varsity Cup next month.

With future plans of expanding the program to full-fledged collegiate esports athletes, and laying out a whole season of esports action, the CCE can only unleash the untapped potential of Filipinos in esports.

Considering how well Filipinos have already done in the international scene, school officials also see CCE as a stepping stone for the country to rise further in the craft.

"Esports now is a growing passion... It's still in infancy but the potential is huge. I'm excited about what can happen in the future," said Lyceum of the Philippines' Hercules Callanta.

Meanwhile San Beda University's Atty. Jonas Cabochan pledged the school's support as early as now with the opportunities the CCE presents for college students.

"It's an opportunity for us to learn more about esports and to have an open door for SBU for some courses and training for students who would want to engage in that kind of field. We do not know what will happen in the future and if it grows, SBU will be on board already," he said.

Arellano, Lyceum, and San Beda, along with De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, Colegio de San Juan de Letran, Emilio Aguinaldo College, Jose Rizal University, Mapua University, San Sebastian-Recoletos, and the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA, are already in the middle of forming their very own esports squads for the CCE's MLBB tournament next month.