Esports program launches at SU

The university will become the first in the country with an esports pipeline servicing K-12 through graduate school students.

By Mykal Vincent | September 28, 2020 at 11:16 AM CDT - Updated September 29 at 10:14 AM

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A varsity esports team is coming to Southern University, with a championship-winning coach at the helm of the program.

Chris Turner, program director at Southern Lab, has coached student-athletes to thousands of dollars in scholarships and a national championship.

Chris Turner has been named head coach and general manager of the esports program at both Southern Lab and Southern University. (Source: SU)

More: SU Lab 8th grader captures national NBA 2k20 championship

His program will now extend to the school’s collegiate campus and will become the first esports pipeline in the country to stretch from kindergarten through graduate school students.

“I’m excited to head up esports for Southern University. We will be the only program to reach students from Pre K to Ph.D. Our goal is to increase student involvement in STEM-related careers, compete for scholarships, and create internship opportunities," Turner said.

Spring season competition will be in NBA 2K21, Call of Duty, and Fortnite. Titles being considered for the fall are Rocket League, Super Smash Bros., Madden NFL, and FIFA.