The University of North Georgia (UNG) Esports program achieved its greatest milestone yet, earning the fall 2024 Halo college national championship. Esports entails competitions on multiplayer video games, and Halo is a wildly popular science fiction game.

UNG defeated powerhouse Fisher College 3-1 for the title-clinching victory in the grand finals. The winning group included Wyatt Gowan, Eli Huey, Clayton Poore, and Dalton Ragon. Nathaniel Hehl '23, a former UNG Esports competitor and part-time Esport supervisor, coached the team.

The championship culminated a 12-1 season for UNG, including a 9-0 regular-season mark.

Huey, a December 2024 graduate from Acworth, Georgia, earned a degree in criminal justice with Peace Officer Standards and Training certification. He played soccer for two years at North Greenville University before transferring to UNG and sees Esports as an outlet that can be even more widely accessible than traditional sports.

"Everybody has their niche. This is what gaming can become," Huey said. "This creates more opportunities for students to be involved competitively in college."

Gowan is an Esports professional player and former world champion. He finished fourth in another recent international event. For Gowan, it was rewarding to be part of the UNG victory thanks to how close the team came in previous semesters.

"Winning this championship means a lot to me because we put a lot of time and effort into this," Gowan, a sophomore from Murrayville, Georgia, who is pursuing a degree in information systems and a minor in cybersecurity, said.

Poore, a senior from Dahlonega, Georgia, pursuing a degree in computer science and a minor in cybersecurity, is grateful to see UNG "can compete with some of the best universities." Even beyond the competition is the community element.

"I'm very thankful for our team," Poore said. "It's some of the best friends I've made."

Ragon, a former professional player, is a junior from Dacula, Georgia, pursuing a degree in computer science with the goal of working for a gaming company. He plans to work in a programming or information technology job after graduating. Ragon is grateful to be part of the growth of Esports at UNG and encourages others to try it out.

"Anybody that has a passion for video games and competing, it's something to pursue," Ragon said. "UNG and Nathaniel do a great job. It's fun, but you still get that desire to be competitive."

Hehl, who joined Esports at UNG in 2019 as a student, earned a degree in management with a minor in digital design and fabrication before continuing to help the Esports program in a part-time capacity after graduating. He is glad to lead the growth of Esports, with about 55 students now involved in the program as he said it has only grown each semester. But this is not the first win for the Esports program, as back in fall 2018 and spring 2024, UNG Esports took Peach Belt Conference titles for League of Legends and Overwatch, respectively. The program aims to keep the momentum for this next semester.

UNG Esports will also host online tryouts for 10 game titles this semester during the Weeks of Welcome. Stay connected with UNG Esports on its official Discord.