Professional esports organisation Cloud9 today announced the formation of Cloud9 University, a collegiate and university outreach programme powered by Uconnect Esports.
Cloud9 University will use the Uconnect competitive platform to host collegiate tournaments, whilst also providing alternative ways to help college students network and learn about the industry.
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“We know this has been a highly sought-after initiative by the community, and we’re excited to be bringing the next generation of esports talent a thrilling collection of events and resources in collaboration with Uconnect Esports,” reads the announcement post.
Uconnect Esports and Cloud9 first announced their alliance back in August. Cloud9 will kick off the initiative on November 5th with the launch of a collegiate-focused Discord, which will allow students to connect and interact with the organisation.
The team will also choose eight universities in the United States to be affiliates of the program and have exclusive benefits and early access to job and internship announcements. Affiliated universities will each be assigned a mentor.
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Also in November, the organisation will host an online two-day panel series to help educate students on how the team works behind-the-scenes, as well as giving insights into potential careers with the team and across the industry as a whole.
Cloud9 will also host a League of Legends intercollegiate tournament in December, with details to come in next month. Lastly, in December, the team will host a college fair for participants in Cloud9 Training Grounds, its youth initiative program for teenagers.
Esports Insider says: Collegiate esports feels like an entirely separate entity from professional esports, so it’s good to see Cloud9 spearhead a program that helps bridge the gap in a sense. These particular events are just through the end of 2020, however, it’ll be curious to see how the team’s collegiate focus grows in 2021 and beyond.