Mayville, N.D. - Mayville State University esports will compete collegiately beginning this fall, and Ryan Rodriguez has been named the team's head coach. This coincides with the moving of the esports program under the umbrella of Comet Athletics. The esports program began at Mayville State in the fall of 2020 and has functioned as a student club in the area of Student Affairs until now.

"We look forward to moving esports at Mayville State in an exciting new direction," said Mayville State Athletic Director Rocky Larson. "Coach Rodriguez is a great addition to the head coaching staff in this role," said AD Larson. "He's already done a great job with student recruitment, and we're excited to see where Ryan takes our esports program!"

Rodriguez came to Mayville State in Aug. of 2024 from Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fla. In addition to coaching esports, he is an assistant men's basketball coach, serving as offensive coordinator and the head strength and conditioning coach.

Esports bring the competitive spirit of video games into a team-based atmosphere. Student athletes compete to show off teamwork and strategy, the keys to victory within the games. Esports focus on hand-eye coordination, perception, reaction time, and mental fortitude over the more physical conditioning of other sports. Like student athletes in traditional sports, esports student athletes require competitive spirit, endurance, and game knowledge and understanding in order to be successful.

Learn more about Esports at Mayville State at www.msucomets.com.