By Maggie Nicol ’25

Otterbein is currently recruiting members for its new Esports program, which will begin competition in the fall of 2024.

Nevin Horne is the Inaugural Director of Esports at Otterbein University with a diverse background in collegiate esports. Originally just a casual Overwatch player studying at Ohio Wesleyan University, he later became a Tournament Organizer at Generation Esports, overseeing the largest National High School Esports League. Nevin served as the Overwatch Coach at the University of Houston, achieving a top-40 national ranking and qualifying for the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup. As the Assistant Coach at Huntingdon College, he led the team to an ECAC Divisional Championship. Nevin is also a founding and voting member of the Overwatch Collegiate Rankings Association, contributing to the assessment of the top 20 college Overwatch teams nationally. His multifaceted experience demonstrates a deep commitment to advancing collegiate Esports at Otterbein.

Horne’s view is that an Esports team should be a welcoming environment for students to find other gamers on campus and to game on a new level and compete in a structured environment. Horne also said while Esports programs give students an opportunity to build relationships with others, they also teach students professional development skills they will carry into their careers.

Since launching the new program, interest from new and current students has been strong. “I have had students who have recently been admitted into Otterbein already reach out to me to find out how they can be involved in the program and tell me what they want to do,” said Horne.

More than two dozen current students expressed interest on Discord the first week it was available.

Horne’s goal is to have 30 students signed up by the fall.

One of Horne’s driving forces is making students and faculty aware that lessons that are taught while gaming on an Esports team can be beneficial in everyday life. “The thing that always gets me going is watching people play and seeing them put the lessons they have been taught into action,” he said.

“I want students to get better and I hope to leave an impression on how to correctly practice, how to improve, how to be a good teammate, and how to be a leader. College is about finding your passions and finding ways to implement them into your everyday life,” Horne added.

To Horne, it’s about more than games — it’s about life lessons. “Failing gives you a realistic expectation and allows a student to set goals and come to terms with where they stand. Losing games with integrity is what shows character. Helping students through it, holding them accountable, is what being a coach is about.”