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�������� Esports has been accepted as an affiliate member of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC), opening a new chapter for a program that has grown rapidly in both participation and competitive success. 

The presidents of the WHAC’s full-member institutions voted Aug. 31 to approve ��������’s application for affiliate membership in esports. �������� will compete alongside collegiate esports programs from WHAC institutions, including Indiana Tech, Aquinas College, and Lawrence Technological University. 

Affiliate membership allows ��������’s program to compete in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in esports without sponsoring traditional athletics. Although classified as an affiliate member by the WHAC, the designation effectively serves as full conference membership for the University’s lone varsity sport.  

The seven-week WHAC esports season begins in September and will conclude in early November, with the top six teams advancing to an in-person championship hosted by Indiana Tech on Nov. 7-8, 2026. The championship will provide teams and players an opportunity to compete, connect, and network in person while concluding the season ahead of the longer NACE and NECC schedules. 

For Director of Esports Daniel Nowaczyk, the opportunity represents another step forward for a program built largely through the commitment of its students. 

“We’ve been working toward this for months, so seeing �������� officially accepted into the WHAC is very exciting,” Nowaczyk said. “Our students have put so much into growing this program and competing at a high level, and I’m incredibly proud of what they’ve built. Joining the WHAC gives them another opportunity to challenge themselves, compete against great programs, and show what �������� Esports can do. I’m excited to see where they take it.” 

The program’s first season in 2020 fielded three titles: Overwatch, League of Legends, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. 

By Spring 2026, participation had grown to 119 students competing across 12 titles, including Overwatch 2, League of Legends, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rocket League, Rainbow Six Siege, Counter-Strike 2, VALORANT, iRacing, Marvel Rivals, Deadlock, Apex Legends, and World of Warcraft Mythic+. 

The University has expanded its support of the program alongside that growth. �������� has a dedicated esports facility with 21 gaming PCs and three iRacing simulators and offers partial scholarships to qualifying incoming first-year and transfer students. In Summer 2024, Nowaczyk became ��������’s first full-time Director of Esports, having previously served as a volunteer coach. 

On the competitive side, �������� teams have steadily built a record of success. The Rainbow Six Siege team earned �������� Esports’ first national championship in 2023, defeating Oklahoma Christian University in the National Esports Collegiate Conference National Championship. �������� teams have since continued earning regional and divisional championships across multiple titles. 

“�������� Esports began in 2020 with 25 students and three titles,” said �������� President Dr. Robert K. McMahan. “This spring, 119 students competed across 12, with a national championship and a run of regional and divisional titles behind them. Membership in the WHAC gives them a conference schedule and steady competition against established programs. The students built this program, and they earned the invitation.” 

While competition is central to the program, Nowaczyk has consistently emphasized that its value extends beyond wins and championships. Esports gives students another place to build friendships, learn to work as a team, challenge themselves, and find support within the �������� community. 

For a program that began with 25 students just six years ago, Nowaczyk sees plenty of room to keep building. 

“The students are what make this program what it is,” he said. “They keep pushing each other, they want to get better, and they’re proud to represent ��������. Being part of the WHAC gives them something new to work toward, and I think they’re ready for it.” 

�������� Esports heads into the 2026-27 season with a busy competitive calendar across NACE and NECC and plenty of momentum from last year’s postseason runs.  

In the NECC competition, placements begin the week of Sept. 21, with regular-season play set for Sept. 28 through Nov. 9, and playoffs running through Dec. 7. Varsity and JV teams in the NECC will follow the same schedule and competition format. 

NACE Varsity teams will compete under a new full-year format, opening regular-season play Oct. 12 and continuing through Feb. 18. Conference playoffs are scheduled for Feb. 22 through March 18, followed by national playoffs March 22 through April 21 and the in-person national championships April 22-25. ��������’s NACE Junior Varsity teams will continue to compete in two shorter seasons.  

The Bulldogs are not defending a championship this fall, but several teams enter the season after deep postseason runs. Three �������� teams finished second in their regions last spring, while three others placed among the top three nationally. Smash Ultimate returns the same roster that captured ��������’s first NACE divisional championship in the title in fall 2025 and advanced to the NACE national playoffs in spring 2026. Counter-Strike’s Jacob Cesarz (a chemical engineering major from Utica, MI), iRacing driver Maverick Davis (an electrical engineering major from Swartz Creek, MI), and freshman Rocket League player Cash Litchfield (a mechanical engineering major from Lawrence, MI) are among the players to watch, while rebuilt Varsity rosters in Marvel Rivals, Overwatch, Rainbow Six Siege, and VALORANT will look to establish themselves quickly as �������� begins another season of national-level competition. 

For more information about �������� Esports, visit /life-at-kettering/clubs-organizations/competition-teams/esports