In our last show of the winter semester, Norris talks to Tyrelle Appleton of New England College about their program and how they’ve grown so quickly. Also, Norris invites Wim Stocks CEO of Collegiate Star League into the studio for a special announcement!
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00:00The latest in college esports from the students that play, play, play, go behind the scenes at the schools that game.
00:09The only place where esports are on campus.
00:14Hey, welcome back to Checkpoint XP on campus, your number one resource for college esports.
00:18I'm your host Norris Howard.
00:20If you haven't noticed, we haven't tossed to the UNLV studios quite yet because they're still off for semester break.
00:26We'll be returning to UNLV and all the awesome team out there next week.
00:33So semester two of Checkpoint XP on campus will begin next week with that episode.
00:38So make sure you guys are here for that because we have a lot of really fun stuff that we got planned.
00:44A lot of really cool segments and interviews all planned.
00:47But today we got a couple of really awesome interviews for you guys.
00:51We're going to be talking to Wim Stocks of Collegiate Star League.
00:54He's going to tell us all about that organization, how you can get involved, as well as he has a special announcement that he's going to be making first here on Checkpoint XP on campus.
01:04Also, we talked to Tyrell Appleton of New England College, a great guy, awesome guy.
01:11They're doing awesome stuff at that program out there.
01:14And he's going to tell us all about it as well as give us a preview of their esports facilities.
01:19So make sure you guys have stuck around for that.
01:23So we got a couple of really cool interviews and we're going to have more.
01:27So make sure you guys stick around for that and make sure that you are here again next week for the start of semester two of Checkpoint XP on campus.
01:39So we got our first interview coming up right now on Checkpoint XP on campus.
01:53Welcome back to Checkpoint XP on campus, your number one resource for collegiate esports news for students by students.
02:04We're going to have a lot more on that coming up, but we have a very special guest in the studio this week.
02:12This is a guy that I'm a big fan of right now.
02:15He's doing big things.
02:16Follow him on Twitter.
02:17Follow him on LinkedIn.
02:18Do all that.
02:19We got Tyrell Appleton.
02:21He is the director of esports, the esports program out in New England College.
02:28Tyrell, thank you so much for joining us today.
02:30No problem.
02:31Thank you for having me on the show.
02:32I really appreciate it.
02:33It's an honor.
02:34Yeah, and so you guys are doing some really cool things out at New England College.
02:39Now, if folks out there don't know, maybe you could give us some brief background on yourself and the New England College esports program.
02:48I started out at College of St. Joseph and getting my master's degree in business administration.
02:54And I built the first esports program in New England.
02:58It was first varsity offered sport there.
03:01And then as soon as I graduated, there was a couple of schools knocking at my door.
03:07And New England College is one of those schools.
03:09And it just was eye appealing to me.
03:13The faculty treated me like family here.
03:16And it had a lot of diversity.
03:18And it's something that pushed me to go here and ended up signing on as a consultant for about six months.
03:26I was in a little office and just getting everything done, just the blueprint, the framework, everything that was needed to create this space.
03:37And then I was promoted to head coach, in which I started my recruitment internationally.
03:43And then I became the esports program director once we launched in January of last year, which was 2019.
03:51Since then, the program has exploded.
03:55Ninja, one of the most influential gamers in the world, shared a post on Twitter.
04:01And that got about 500,000 impressions, over 70,000 views.
04:07And that was a big boost for us.
04:09I haven't seen him do that yet for another institution.
04:11But it was really helpful.
04:14And it was an honor, actually.
04:17And we have a bunch of sponsors.
04:20I just announced HyperX, as you know, Norris.
04:23It was pretty big.
04:24It's crazy.
04:25It's still blowing up.
04:27We have XSplit on board.
04:29We also have eFuse.
04:31It's a social media platform that just launched.
04:35And we have NEU.
04:37NEU, they do the global merchandise and apparel for Overwatch League, Fortnite, E-League, Forbes, and a bunch of other companies.
04:48So we're headed in the right direction.
04:50There's over 125 members in the club on campus.
04:54There's 40 players for diverse teams.
04:57So we're just trying to push, you know, where we want to go.
05:02You know, put our foot on the gas pedal.
05:05Don't stop.
05:05Don't look back.
05:06But, you know, drive with caution, right?
05:10Look in all lanes and just see what is the best route.
05:14Do we need to go left today?
05:15Do we need to go right the next day?
05:18But it's just trying to set the bar as the beast in the east, I would say.
05:25Most definitely.
05:26Most definitely.
05:27And so, by the way, guys, I got to put it out there.
05:30New England College has some of the sickest e-sports, you know, jerseys or kits, whatever you want to call them, that I've seen out there.
05:38They're pretty nice.
05:39So definitely go and check those out.
05:41But you talk about sort of, you know, how you guys are growing and sponsorships and all that type of stuff.
05:49You know, you're a varsity program.
05:51You know, what is, you know, being the biggest hurdle, if you will, to get in the university really to buy into e-sports as a concept?
06:01Or was it something that they were so interested in that they reached out to you and were very proactive about it?
06:07I would definitely say it's a bit of both just because they're looking at me as the expert to kind of explain and help them.
06:16But I kind of look up to them in certain situations because some of them don't come from the gaming world.
06:24So I'm able to use it as a teaching moment and experience to kind of educate them on gaming and e-sports and learn from them at the same time because they're still professionals because they help me in a lot of ways.
06:38And having that green light from the president, board of directors, senior VPs was something that really helped me create this space today and develop the arena that you see behind me.
06:55And I'll show you later on.
06:56But I can't say the same for other colleges.
06:59Some institutions, you know, they only have department support.
07:03I know a few directors that probably they're their own support.
07:09They're probably given a small budget and they're just told to go because people don't buy in.
07:16But here everyone has bought in.
07:18Everyone has had some type of hand to help me along the way.
07:22So it's kind of like that baby, you know, it takes a village to raise a child.
07:27Right.
07:27And that's the situation that we have here.
07:29It really was a collaborative effort, even though I may be the director.
07:35It's a family unit.
07:36And we kind of continue to raise the baby the right way.
07:40Awesome.
07:41Awesome.
07:42And so, you know, what role has, you know, sort of that first wave of students and e-sports athletes?
07:50How have they reacted to the program?
07:52What roles do they have within the organization?
07:55Do you have a lot of players that are also taking up more assistant coaching roles or is everybody sort of have their own role and everybody specialized?
08:05It's a good question.
08:07So I'm going to show you their reactions with this program.
08:14Let's go.
08:15So this is that's the energy every single day.
08:18I just wanted to show you.
08:19OK, that's the player perspective.
08:21They come in here fired up.
08:23They're ready to play.
08:24You know, they're trying to make this as their own.
08:27That's what I try to teach them every single day is this is your opportunity.
08:31This space is brand new.
08:33It's at its infancy.
08:34Let's let's make this what we want it to look like.
08:38And they take that very serious.
08:39So I have student coaches as opposed to hiring coaches.
08:44I'll probably do that in the future.
08:45But when I was competing, I as a captain, I was a coach, essentially, as an in-game leader, just directing as I'm playing for myself.
08:56I'm like, hey, he's one shot.
08:57You know, go this way, go that way while I'm playing for my life.
09:00And I feel like those same things, if you run it as an esports organization, you would know that it is probably one of the most effective ways because that player can build that experience to take out into the real world if they get picked up by a professional team.
09:16So they're still utilizing those skills and building on those strengths.
09:21Listen, if you guys are just joining us, we have a very special guest on the show, Tyrell Appleton of New England College.
09:29He's the man in charge of their esports program.
09:32You are watching Checkpoint XP on campus.
09:35Your host, Norris Howard, here.
09:36And just very quickly, what games do you guys currently field in the esports program right now?
09:42Right now, we field in all the titles that are offered competitively, from PC to console.
09:50So, for example, Super Smash Brothers, NBA 2K, FIFA, NHL.
09:55For PC games, you have Overwatch, League of Legends, Apex Legends, Fortnite, and the list goes on.
10:02So anything that the major governing bodies like NACE, ECAC, NECC, CSL, TESPA, there's a whole list.
10:14Right.
10:15We will play in anything that is offered.
10:19Awesome.
10:19And, you know, it's good to hear that the university creates an environment that is positive towards that.
10:27It wants more people participating.
10:30But as you said, you know, I got a little glimpse of sort of your facilities back there.
10:35If you can, you know, is it possible we could take a sneak peek sort of what's going on back there in the facilities at all?
10:43You want a sneak peek?
10:44Yeah, let's take a sneak peek, man.
10:47Come on, come on.
10:48Let me show you.
10:48Let me show you.
10:49So these are acoustic sound panels in the ceiling.
10:56The entire wall wrap design was to give this a space look to make you feel like you're not on campus.
11:06This is to make this a distinctive space.
11:10That's our closet.
11:11Looks terrible.
11:13These chairs have Bluetooth speakers built in.
11:16There's LED lights on the side.
11:19At the top.
11:20They're not on right now.
11:22Awesome.
11:22In that corner straight ahead is our club rep desk.
11:28And then we have our TVs.
11:30We have one outside of the arena.
11:32That's our projector for VOD reviews and movies.
11:35Awesome.
11:36And then my space.
11:38Awesome.
11:39Awesome.
11:40It's a really beautiful space.
11:43It's state of the art.
11:44You guys have some of the best machines in there.
11:47And so what is what is really the first reaction when, you know, you have freshmen and come in or or kids who haven't necessarily, you know, had the time to come down and check out the facility?
11:59What's the reaction from those students been?
12:03Wow.
12:04Oh, my gosh, dude.
12:10You see that?
12:13Bruh.
12:18That's amazing.
12:19That's amazing.
12:20And so, you know, we talk a lot about esports, especially at the college level and how much support it needs from universities and from other organizations.
12:33You know, what to you has been the single biggest factor in your guys' program growing so fast?
12:42I would definitely say unity in the chemistry.
12:46Just starting those disciplines and the groundwork from the start because I'm young.
12:54You know, I'm 26 years old.
12:55But I also know that in order for this space to get to where it is, I have to establish a certain type of culture here that's comfortable and open, that's inclusive, that's diverse, that when people come in, they know that there's a different sense here.
13:14That it's a different type of spirit, that when you walk in this room, you feel at home, you feel like you have a family, you feel you have backup in that village.
13:24And I feel like that's something that goes a long way with them.
13:28Anytime I take time off or when they go on breaks, they always come back with respect and, hey, coach, how you doing, coach?
13:38Anything I need, they're ready to go and help me and assist in any way possible.
13:42And I feel like that's the biggest thing for this program is the spirit.
13:47Awesome.
13:47Awesome.
13:48Now, I got to ask this because, you know, I follow you on all the social medias and I see you giving some stuff and you said you had a big announcement you were getting ready to make about something coming up.
14:00I got to ask, man, what is it?
14:03What is it?
14:05It's going to be announced today so I can give you.
14:08I can announce it.
14:10I give you a little secret sauce.
14:12All right.
14:13Yes, it's just a little bit.
14:15So I'm going to be joining E-Fuse on their first eSports collegiate advisory board.
14:25Awesome.
14:26Awesome.
14:26That's great news, man.
14:28And the more that we hear about this and the more that we hear about, you know, sort of these advisory boards and more structure coming to the space, then the better everything is.
14:38So that is excellent news, man.
14:40And thank you so much for sharing that with us and giving us the hot exclusive.
14:47No problem.
14:48I'm just excited to join other professionals like myself to help create the vision and where we want this space to go to and grow.
14:56So, you know, it's at its infancy and it's not a scary thing.
15:01It's a beautiful thing.
15:02We get to raise the baby the way that we feel fit.
15:06There's no manual to be a parent.
15:09My daughter is turning one very soon.
15:11So there's no book to read and be like, hey, I mean, for us as professionals, there's a lot of things out there.
15:19Great examples.
15:21Even as a parent, you can take examples from other people.
15:24But we got to be instinctive parents for the esports space.
15:30Definitely, definitely.
15:31And, guys, just so you know, this will not be the last time you see Tyrell on the show.
15:37It will not be the last time New England College will be on the show because we are homies now.
15:46They are content partners with us, and that's another exclusive for you guys.
15:53They are going to be helping us out with bringing more news from all of their competitions as well as everything going on on their campus when it comes to esports.
16:03So, Tyrell, I thank you for that personally in joining us in this journey of bringing collegiate esports news to the masses.
16:12And good luck to you and your program all throughout the semester and throughout the legacy that it eventually will build.
16:23And we look forward to hearing from you and your program a lot more.
16:28Thank you so much, Norris.
16:29It's an honor.
16:31Thank you to Checkpoint XP and Beasley Media Group.
16:33I appreciate you for bringing me on today.
16:36And this moment won't be unheralded.
16:39I'll live with this forever.
16:40I appreciate it.
16:41I look forward to joining you guys again.
16:43Awesome.
16:44Awesome.
16:44So, there's going to be more coming up from Checkpoint XP on campus.
16:49So, make sure you guys stick around.
16:59Welcome back to Checkpoint XP on campus, your number one resource for college esports.
17:04It is for students by students.
17:06Your host, Norris Howard here.
17:07We have another special guest this week.
17:09They're in the studio this time.
17:12This is crazy, guys.
17:13We're taking it to a whole new level.
17:15We have Wim Stocks of Collegiate Star League in the building, CEO of the company.
17:21Thanks for joining us today.
17:21Thanks, Norris, for having me.
17:22This is exciting to be here at Beasley Media in beautiful Detroit.
17:27A little gray today, but wonderful being here.
17:30Yeah, thank you.
17:31Thank you so much.
17:32And just for all the folks out there who have been living under a rock, maybe you could just
17:38explain a little bit about Collegiate Star League.
17:40Happy to.
17:41Collegiate Star League, we are the, essentially we're the NCAA for esports in North America.
17:47We have presence both in Canada and the U.S.
17:50Most of the schools that are involved in CSL leagues are U.S.-based, roughly 120 schools
17:57involved in Canada.
17:58So we do have the largest footprint for collegiate esports in North America.
18:02We have 14 different leagues.
18:04Every game is a league.
18:05So we run a Counter-Strike League.
18:07We run a Dota 2 League.
18:08We run a Smash League.
18:09We run a Madden League.
18:11We run a Magic the Gathering League, a Gears 5 League, on and on.
18:14You get the idea, and this year we've enjoyed huge growth in the number of schools who are
18:20involved with us.
18:21We have over 1,800 schools now participating in our various leagues.
18:25We have over 11,000 teams involved, and that represents over 70,000 student-athletes who
18:32are participating in CSL.
18:34We have two divisions in CSL.
18:36We have an elite division, the star division.
18:38We call it the Division I of CSL, and we have a Division II as well.
18:43We call it the Open League, more recreational, more intramural probably, a good way to describe
18:49it, but the whole notion there is getting as many people involved in playing competitively
18:54and having fun while they're doing it.
18:56Awesome.
18:57And esports has really seen a lot of growth, at least in the cultural zeitgeist, if you
19:03will, in the mainstream over the past couple years.
19:07But collegiate esports really was some of the foundation of where it is now.
19:14Why did you guys choose to focus on the collegiate space as opposed to going full force into the
19:22pro scenes as a lot of other organizations have?
19:24Well, one of the big brand missions we have, and this encompasses not just CSL but also our
19:32other brand, which is World Gaming Network, we see a huge opportunity in the amateur space.
19:39Amateur, as you know, Norris, the amateur designation in esports is very blurred because
19:46one day you could be playing in a pro event making $5,000.
19:49The next day you're back playing for your college in a more of an amateur event.
19:55We really refer to them as semi-pros.
19:57But for us, our whole mission is helping players who are aspiring to get better to get better
20:03through our events, through our content, through our programming, through our leagues.
20:09And we see a huge opportunity.
20:12We see more kids in school wanting to participate in esports, but not just from the participation
20:18or the competition side, but also from learning about esports, the business of esports, what
20:23it's going to take to have a career in esports, marketing of esports, production, being a caster,
20:29all of those things, broadcast as there is traditional education and curriculum around broadcast,
20:36that applying it to esports is a very different thing.
20:39So we see a huge opportunity on the amateur side, and our whole goal is through our collegiate
20:46leagues, as a player aspires to get better, we can get them on the right stage, we can
20:53get them on the right platform, and a number of our leagues will culminate when we get down
20:58to our grand finals, to the final four, the winning team will get a seat in one of the
21:02pro league activations.
21:03So this notion of Path to the Pros, we're not only talking it, we're walking it as well,
21:08and we have a lot of fun in this space where we are.
21:13That's absolutely awesome, because the Path to the Pro is something that I hear over and
21:17over again in terms of the collegiate space and the cinema pro space, even all the way
21:22down to high school, as something that does need more infrastructure, something that does
21:27need a lot more organization, more help.
21:29So it's awesome that you guys are doing that.
21:31You're watching or listening to Checkpoint XP on campus, number one resource for collegiate
21:38esports, we're talking to Wimstocks of Collegiate Star League right now, and you guys have
21:43a pretty big thing on the horizon for 2020, so maybe, is it possible that you can share
21:50a little bit of that with us?
21:51I can share, through the wonders of technology, this won't be released for another 24 hours,
21:56so that's good, because that's when the release will be time, but I'm giving it in advance
22:01to our friends here at Checkpoint XP.
22:04Let me lead in to what our announcement is with another announcement we've already made,
22:08that our grand finals, our collegiate grand finals, really our final four for our 2019-2020
22:15season will be held, we've made this announcement already, be held in Las Vegas at the HyperX Arena
22:19in the Luxor, HyperX came out, great venue, it'll be ideal for what it is we're doing
22:25and how we structure our collegiate events at more of a festival, yes, competitions are
22:29the central topic and the central item, central content of what we're doing, but we do a lot
22:34of peripheral things, more of a festival, we encourage everybody to come out in Las Vegas,
22:38April 17th through the 19th.
22:40Part of that is made possible because of a huge sponsorship deal that we struck with HyperX,
22:47HyperX Peripherals Memory Partner, they're our exclusive partner, an official partner for
22:53Peripherals and Memory and the Collegiate Star League Over the Top sponsorship, we're super excited,
22:58they've shown a lot of great insight and a lot of great interest in what it is we're doing at the
23:02collegiate level and they've focused on collegiate as an opportunity and a means by which
23:08to build their brand and to build presence for their products.
23:12So that was a big announcement that we made earlier this past fall, but on the heels of
23:17that and again a big collegiate announcement we're going to make on Thursday is that we
23:24will be the official collegiate partner of DreamHack in North America.
23:28Oh wow.
23:28For the next two years, they have four events, Anaheim, Dallas, Atlanta and Montreal, I don't
23:37think I have them in the right order chronologically, but we will be the exclusive and official
23:43provider of collegiate tournaments on the main stages at the DreamHacks in North America.
23:48So couldn't be more excited about this, they're a great partner, obviously they built a huge
23:53brand around DreamHack for large events, it'll really put our collegiate events and the showcase
23:59for collegiate events on a much bigger stage than we've been able to garner thus far.
24:03So we're really thrilled about this.
24:04And that's awesome, DreamHack is a legacy event, if you're into esports you know DreamHack,
24:10they've run a litany of games.
24:12Absolutely.
24:12You know, why DreamHack as opposed to maybe partnering with other events, maybe conventions,
24:21E3 or packs or anything like that?
24:23Well, we won't be excluded from doing things at other venues or other events, but this deal
24:31really brings to DreamHack this important constituency.
24:36We actually did a collegiate event at a DreamHack in Austin, Texas many years ago, that is no longer
24:42part of the DreamHack circuit, but it was really one of our foundations from a venue and from
24:48an event perspective, did a great activation there, we went away to do our own events, but
24:53these will become more regional kinds of events, but they'll be big.
24:57The good news is on the stage where there are a couple hundred thousand people going to show
25:02up for other gaming related things, now our collegiate programming, our collegiate tournaments
25:09and the college competitions, the players in the college competitions, will get a nice
25:16presence and a spotlight on the big stage.
25:18Awesome.
25:19So we're thrilled for that and we're thrilled we can do that with the help of our friends
25:24at DreamHack.
25:25Awesome.
25:25So where can folks find more information about Collegiate Star League, about all of you guys'
25:33brands and tournaments?
25:34Where can people find more information?
25:35I'd encourage you to go to two places, cstarleague.com is the website for our collegiate events,
25:42our leagues and administration of our leagues, so cstarleague.com, a great website and a great
25:49resource for what we're doing collegiately.
25:51On the World Gaming side, worldgaming.com is our tournaments platform, on our events platform
25:56we do a lot of cross-pollination of not only content but also of information of what's happening
26:01in World Gaming, what's happening in Collegiate Star League.
26:03So those are two great resources for us.
26:07We also have a great partnership with Twitch.
26:09We'd encourage everybody to watch our cstarleague channel on Twitch.
26:15Awesome.
26:16Wimstocks of Collegiate Star League, World Gaming, all this amazing, amazing stuff coming up for
26:22you guys in 2020.
26:23And again, thank you so much for joining us.
26:25Thanks for having me.
26:26I'd love to be here.
26:26Thank you so much.
26:28We're going to have more coming up from Checkpoint XP on campus, so make sure you guys stick around.
26:33That's going to be it for this week's Checkpoint XP on campus.
26:44Make sure you guys, again, are here for the start of semester too.
26:49Next week, we're going to be having the guys from UNLV back once more, and we're going to
26:53have more awesome college eSports show for you.
26:57So we hope and we demand that you come back for all the great stuff that we're doing here
27:03at Checkpoint XP on campus.
27:06And as Jacob would say, love you.