The Esports industry’s most innovative companies and executives are honored during The Tempest Awards
HARRISBURG, Pa. – For the second consecutive year, The Harrisburg University Storm has been nominated for the Tempest Awards’ “Best Collegiate Esports Program” honor, further solidifying the Storm’s status as one of the most innovative collegiate Esports programs in North America.
Each October, The Esports industry’s most innovative companies and executives are honored during The Tempest Awards Gala. With categories that span production, marketing, talent, and technology, the competition is judged by key members of the Esports community. These awards serve as North America’s top honors for the brands, teams, leagues, players, and business leaders driving the competitive gaming industry.
The Storm took home the “Best Collegiate Esports Program” honor during The Tempest Awards Gala in Las Vegas last year, beating out other collegiate esports programs like Maryville University, UC Irvine, UC Berkley and University of Utah. Other finalists competing for this year’s honor, to be awarded during the Virtual Tempest Awards Gala on Oct. 28, include Full Sail University, UC Irvine, University of Utah, and Boise State.
“It is an honor to once again be recognized as one of the strongest and most innovative programs in collegiate Esports,” said Harrisburg University President, Dr. Eric Darr. “While facing tough challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, the team continues to perform and showcase their talent and this acknowledgment is proof that we continue to pave the way for collegiate esports.”
Harrisburg University is one of the first schools to create a varsity Esports team, offering full-tuition scholarships to its players. The Storm has won two consecutive Collegiate Overwatch National Championships since its inception in 2018.
The Storm took down rival Maryville University 3-0 in the Collegiate Overwatch National Championship Grand Finals hosted by TESPA, the world’s largest operator of collegiate Esports leagues, in July. The Storm also beat Maryville to win the ESPN Collegiate Esports National Championship in 2019.
About the Harrisburg University Storm
The Harrisburg University Storm is a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the varsity Esports program that fields teams in Overwatch, League of Legends, and Hearthstone. The Storm has won two consecutive Collegiate Overwatch National Championships since its inception in 2018. The Storm has won numerous other championships, and also is the recipient of an international Tempest Award for Best Collegiate Esports Program. Harrisburg University is Pennsylvania’s first University to offer full-tuition scholarships to the members of its varsity Esports team. The team calls a state-of-the-art, multimillion-dollar facility located in the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts home.
