Esports is the fastest growing sport in the world, and Onondaga Community College is proud to be part of that world. The Lazers have an Esports team and a sparkling Esports Arena!

OCC student-athletes began competing on an intramural level during the fall 2022 semester while the Esports Arena was being built. In the spring 2023, the Arena opened as the finishing touches were being put on it. The Arena has 23 gaming stations, each equipped with ergonomically designed chairs. National Grid also supported the Esports Arena with a $20,000 gift through its Project C program. During this academic year Lazers student-athletes are competing at the National Junior College Athletic Association level and doing well! "For the past three semesters we're averaging about 85 kids in the program. It's really kind of cool," said Head Coach Keith Edwards.

The new Esports program is the subject of this edition of our podcast, "Chatting About College." We are joined in the conversation by Edwards, Assistant Coach Jeff Pease, and student-athlete Rob Maher. He's a 2005 graduate of Oswego High School in the Computer Science degree program. "It's so cool the school has a program like this and put that amount of money into a room for kids to compete in. It's incredible," said Maher.