By Sean Robertson
**Lubbock is a Texas Certified Film Friendly Community. Esports is an important element in this growing industry.
With only 1,500 students on campus, Lubbock Christian University (LCU) is raking in an amazing victory that creates a ripple in the waters of the entire Esports community. The LCU Esports team won the highly sought-after Super Smash Bros. Ultimate title from some of the largest universities in the nation: the powerful Stony Brook University or Seawolves in New York during the Spring 2024 NACE STAR League Championship. But what really makes this win monumental is that Stony Brook, a 25,000-student-body institution, had won championships consecutively in the two previous years. This year they were beat by LCU—a testimony to the strength of skill over size.
At the helm of this incredible program is Head Coach Brandon Hackett, who has brought LCU Esports to national powerhouse status through his leadership and strategic guidance.
Hackett brings to the group a Bachelor’s Degree in Game Design and a Master’s Degree in Learning Technology from the University of North Texas and helped get the program off the ground with Dr. Darby four years ago as a Teaching Assistant. Through the years, Hackett has brought it all together. He is recruiting some of the best talent across the country while building a team that competes and wins against much larger schools. What makes LCU different isn’t just the bigger wins versus larger institutions but the grit and determination from behind the scenes. Esports at LCU is all but “playing video games”; it is a very competitive sport with serious dedication. Each student-athlete must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA, go through an extensive vetting process, and fit into both the academic atmosphere and culture of the university. In return, LCU’s esports program presents scholarships ranging from $2,000 up to full rides to students pursuing their academic and gaming ambitions.
It’s no easy feat, as most of the training regimen for LCU’s esports team is rigorous. Every member puts in at least six hours per week of team practice, with another ten hours of individual practice added on top, though most well exceed that.
Working on gameplay in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU), these athletes have put in thousands of hours—so far, some players have put in 5,000 to 9,000 hours in total SSBU gameplay experience. In the complete sense of the word, these students are pros that spend countless hours perfecting their craft and winning national titles for their school. Included among the All-Stars was freshman Tiki Duquella, a Humanities major from Knoxville, TN, who received NACE 1st Team All-Star, and sophomore Noah West, a Business major from Mechanicsville, VA, who made the NACE 2nd Team All-Star. Through their individual greatness, LCU’s championship was undergirded by talents propagated by Coach Hackett.
The success of the program garnered accolades while catapulting LCU’s Esports program to the forefront as an up-and-coming force within collegiate competition. In Esports, there is no separation by school size—meaning schools of the size of LCU go head-to-head against massive institutions like Stony Brook University. And in this newest win, it shows that talent plus teamwork will overcome even the most massive competitors.
The program should take pride in this win as that signals more great things to come.
So profound was the impact of Coach Hackett’s coaching that he was nominated for Coach of the Year honors in both Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimately, a testament to his leadership across a wide spectrum of Esports games. His vision and dedication have built a team not only with victories but also with such a level of professionalism and commitment unparalleled by their peers. But even more so than competition LCU’s esports program offers students invaluable means to grow academically and in their gaming careers. Equipped with game labs, cutting-edge technology, and a wide array of online tools, these students have everything they need to compete at the highest levels. Academic excellence with competitive rigor is why LCU attracts talented Esport participants from across the country. In the ever-evolving Esports world, LCU has proven that even the smallest of schools can pull off big things. The victory of the LCU esports team in the NACE STAR League Spring 2024 Championship is just not a win from the team but one moment of triumph for the whole university. With Coach Hackett leading from the front and their commitment to excellence, LCU’s Esports future is definitely bright.
