HARRISBURG, PA – Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) is home to an award-winning varsity esports team, The HU Storm. In both 2019 and 2020, The Storm was named “Best Collegiate Esports Program” in the annual Tempest Awards.
Now, the 2024 National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Awards are in full swing, and the team is once again receiving some well-earned recognition. In June, NACE announced that no fewer than seven current HU Storm athletes, coaches, partners, staff, and events had been named finalists in this annual celebration of esports excellence.
The NACE Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in collegiate esports. These awards honor the efforts of students, teams, coaches, and administrators who have made significant contributions to the growth and success of collegiate esports.
Here’s the complete list of HU’s 2024 NACE Award finalists:
- Jeffrey (“Jeffie”) Hansen – NACE All-Stars 1st Team, Player of the Year
- HUE Invitational – Outstanding Event of the Year
- Nythaniel (“Hyjinx”) Kline – NACE All-Stars 2nd Team
- Iyengaran (“IyeN”) Raju – Valorant Coach of the Year
- Tom Screech (Esports Instructor, HU) – Scholar of the Year
- Soniqs – Partner of the Year
- Lynzie Wagaman (Assistant Director of Esports and Partnerships, HU) – Support Staff of the Year
As finalists, each of these scholars, athletes, coaches, and staff members have already set themselves apart. The Player of the Year and Coach of the Year award winners will be announced during the week of July 8; winners for the other categories will be announced at the 2024 NACE Convention, slated for July 17–19 at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.
The demand for professional esports athletes, producers, event managers, and broadcasters is only expected to rise. According to forecasters, the global esports market was valued at $2.1 billion in 2023 and is on track to become a $7.5 billion industry by 2031. The demand for video game designers is likewise expected to rise, with an anticipated 32,090 new jobs filled by 2029.
Wondering how to make a mark of your own on this exciting, dynamic, and quickly growing industry? Harrisburg University offers these industry-defining degrees:
- Bachelor of Science in Esports Management, Production, and Performance
- Bachelor of Science in Game Design
- Bachelor of Science in Interactive Media
In addition to developing game design or esports broadcast skills, students immersed in these disciplines also have ample opportunities to collaborate with one another to design, host, and broadcast major esports events, like HUE Invitational and the PA Cup, and even help test and develop new products with major publishers and partners in the game user research lab.
We wish each of these finalists the best and thank them for the work they do as trailblazers for esports and ambassadors for HU.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Harrisburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. For additional information about the University’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
