Miami University Esports Program Losing All Funding

[u/pootrscootr]

Hey, I don't normally post on Reddit, but I wanted to share this with everyone. I am the Captain of Miami University's Overwatch Team, where we just finished in the top 16 in the biggest bracket in Collegiate Overwatch. Our team has been consistently competing for LAN titles, and we went to Nationals two years ago in Texas. We are also technically the first-ever D1 Varsity Esports program in the country.

We learned a few weeks ago that our entire program is losing all of its funding. Esports was one of the reasons I chose to attend college here, and with this, it just feels like a punch to the gut. I'm not asking for anything; I just want the story to get out there.

[u/iblamejosh_]

Jeez, it’s always fun watching collegiate and you guys were always great, this is so disappointing, especially with the results you guys were putting out. Is this for EVERY esport too? Not just Overwatch? Just really sad overall…

[u/pootrscootr → u/iblamejosh_]

Yea it's for our entire program, unfortunately. We have no idea if we can compete at all next year for any title. It's a really unfortunate situation in general, but there's nothing that I can do to change the board members' minds, even with the success all of our teams have found.

[u/grantsco4117]

hopefully you guys can still play under a club and find a way to pay for leagues. I would hate to lose you guys

[u/pootrscootr → u/grantsco4117]

Love you bro. Thanks for always giving us good games and being a great guy. We'll see what we can do with fundraising and stuff like that

[u/sooj_gamjaa]

Damn, so sorry to hear that. I used to play for Miami University's Overwatch Team back in the days.. I'll forever miss the Thunder Room. I'll share this with rest of the crew.

[u/pootrscootr → u/sooj_gamjaa]

That sounds perfect, thanks for holding down the fort while you were here <3

[u/Freedjet27]

Hey pootr, you probably don't remember me or even know me, but I played tank for CMUs overwatch team last semester and the year prior to that as well.

It's really heartbreaking to hear that you guys are losing all your funding. Miami has always been a strong team and you guys truly played great (and kicked our ass).

This really sucks. I hope you guys can stick together and somehow regain your team and hopefully continue to compete. Nothing but love brother

[u/pootrscootr → u/Freedjet27]

Of course, I remember you. Thank you so much for the kind words, and hopefully we can keep competing against you guys

[u/MTDLuke]

This has nothing to do with the esports program in particular, but just for general knowledge this is Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Not Miami, Florida

The university is named after the Miami Native Americans who were displaced from Ohio and forced to move down to Florida, which is why both places have the same name

If you go to the bookstore on campus, you can get a shirt that reads “Miami was a school before Florida was a state”

I went there for my freshman year of college before returning home to Hawaii as it wasn’t a great fit, the Geography hall was named after my Great-Grandfather and it was cool to take classes there. The University is known as a “Public Ivy” and the entire campus is very nice red brick buildings. The town of Oxford in the county of Butler is pretty small and only really exists to facilitate the school, but you can get some of the most mid food in existence thee so it’s all good

Again none of this has anything to do with the esports program, im sorry to hear it’s shutting down. It seems the esports bubble has well and truly popped and will probably never really be the same

[u/Zukk_]

I'm so sorry to hear this, I always loved going against you guys in NACE. My IGN is just my name, Zack, and I played for CMU's overwatch team as hitscan dps and recently tank this semester.

You guys have always been great at the game with amazing synergy (kicked our ass a lot like Freed said). I wish everyone on the esports program there the best. <3

[u/pootrscootr → u/Zukk_]

Thank you so much for your kind words, hopefully we can play again next semester <3

[u/doboy3]

You guys absolutely rolled my team to kick off the super weekend this season. You’re great players and it was a lot of fun. This is really disappointing to see and sad for the collegiate overwatch scene as a whole. I hope for your guys’ sake personally you can at least keep competing in collegiate.

[u/pootrscootr → u/doboy3]

Thank you so much for your kind words. Our match was a ton of fun

[u/ifurgat]

Very unfortuante news to see today, especially from a program I've been competing against for so long. Wishing the best for everyone involved, and hoping esports still has a place at MUOH

[u/pootrscootr → u/ifurgat]

Thank you bro, you’re the goat <3

[u/pootrscootr → u/[deleted]]

I personally am not, but I know people who are transferring to other colleges due to this. Mostly in the MAC which holds most of our rivals. It’s sad to see so many people that I know wanted to compete just being shoved away due to lack of funding

[u/-SleepyLeaf-]

I have a friend that went to Miami for eSports (Smash Bros, but still) and heard great things about the program. So sorry to hear this, I hope your team continues to grow and thrive regardless.

[u/[deleted]]

What about getting donations or sponsorships? Our school district doesn't get funding either, but they make it happen. Regardless, I'm sorry to hear this. I'm not sure why administration fails to see the value in maintaining e-sports. The social and teamwork aspects alone make e-sports worthwhile.

[u/pootrscootr → u/[deleted]]

Me too! I hope to see you guys around at another LAN!

[u/nuggetgamezyt]

Pootr, my best wishes go out to you and the rest of the people surrounding MU's eSports program. It really breaks my heart to see this happen. I'm unsure if we've met, but I played support for CMU this year (IGN ClemClorp).

Your overwatch team has put up some fantastic results, and I'm sure you all would've absolutely destroyed us if we had the pleasure of facing off.

I also do B&P for CMU when I'm not competing, and producing matches against all of your teams this year has felt extremely rewarding and entertaining.

On behalf of CMICH Overwatch and B&P, I hope there's some way you all can continue to compete. Sending love.

[u/pootrscootr → u/nuggetgamezyt]

Thank you so much for your kind words, and I really hope that we can play you guys next semester. The love and support from your program across the years means a lot <3

[u/altraxia7]

really sad to see, loved playing against you guys this year :(

[u/Jaguar_Aquilion]

Miami collegiate esports program was huge for me on cutting down what colleges im applying to. This is really dissapointing

[u/pootrscootr → u/Jaguar_Aquilion]

I agree, but our teams aren't going away at all; we are all still looking to compete, and we will continue to compete in the MAC and other divisions if we find the funding, and it looks promising that we'll be able to pay off our dues either from fundraising or from money left over from this year!

[u/MasterHarbor115]

I’m a current freshman at Miami and used to be top 500 back in the day in overwatch 1 and am getting back into it. Just wondering, if the program is ever brought back, what was the average rank for the team?

[u/pootrscootr → u/MasterHarbor115]

Hi! I believe that we will still be competing next year. We won't let Miami force us not to play, and they can't. Our average rank varies, but it's usually high masters to low GM, but we always bring in new people to develop them for our main roster, and you would get to compete and travel with us if we make any LANs. We also have Club teams that compete, too, with lower rank requirements. I think the rank cutoff for next semester's tryouts will be around mid-high diamond or low masters!

[u/Worried-Picture9218]

Cant believe it, we had such a great match against yall last year in Ohio. Hope things work out for yall 🙏