Kennesaw State University’s new Call of Duty Academy team remains undefeated in the first College Call of Duty Academy League.
KSU student Sam Lewis recalls the feeling of playing Call of Duty with friends, losing wagers for hours on end.
Even after many defeats, Lewis would still have fun, getting better with each match. He quickly picked up on strategies and faced split-second decisions.
“I learned that it’s much more than just gaming,” Lewis said. “It’s more of a lifestyle. It was a group of people my age that had one common goal; to win and make friends.”
After taking three years off from college to pursue his esports career, Lewis returned to KSU and founded the Call of Duty esports club. The KSU Call of Duty club cultivated an impressive set of players and found many more that showed promise.
“My team wants to make a statement against all Academy teams and come out on top and prove that both our teams are top contenders in the following years to come,” Lewis said.
KSU is currently going through its biggest challenge yet, the first College Call of Duty League Academy season. The team is composed of four players, including main team veterans, Sam Lewis and team captain Oliver Rose. The two veterans coach newcomers Alex Coleman and Bryce Henry. A pool of $5000 is set as the prize to be split among the top four teams this season.
“When I was given the opportunity to be the coach of our academy team, I knew that I would be surrounded by a group of guys that were all talented in their own way,” Rose said.
Though the prize pool may be smaller, and the main teams more experienced, KSU is confident in its ability to take on any challenge. This confidence is not undeserved, as the team is undefeated this season, going 5-0 in matches and 15-0 in total maps. Coleman credits their success to their good vibes, shared goals and willingness to take criticism.
“If you aren’t vibing with your team on-and-off the game, then it will create issues down the road,” Coleman said. “Everybody’s individual goals may vary, but our goal as a unit is to win the academy league tourney at the end of the year.”
As KSU moves through the ranks of the CCL, they already look forward to their next challenge. Among them is the Battle for Georgia against Georgia Southern, as well as the College XP Call of Duty league, an invitation-only CCL league for teams with no scholarships.
Lewis hopes that the strength of KSU disproves the idea that the Academy division means easier competition. The team has rigorous training three times a week, live-streams their matches and uses the video of said matches to improve on their mistakes. Rose finds it exciting to have people watch their performance, using it as motivation to win, show off their skills and practice their teamwork.
“What draws me to Call of Duty is the College Call of Duty League and being able to play with this team,” Rose said. “None of us at KSU [Call of Duty] would know each other if it wasn’t for the CCL.”
KSU Academy’s next match will be on Feb. 14 against Florida Gulf Coast University at 7:30 p.m.
