SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — Seton Hall University has announced that Victor Gomez, a 2017 alumnus, has been selected as the Seton Hall esports manager, effective July 1. The creation of a full-time esports manager position is the first for a BIG EAST university and reaffirms Seton Hall’s commitment to engaging students.
Gomez has been instrumental to the founding, creation and growth of the Gaming Sector club and the current esports program at Seton Hall. The Seton Hall Gaming Sector club was less than a year old when Gomez joined in 2013 — the same year that the United States officially recognized esports players as professional athletes. Esports were beginning to explode on campuses around the country, and Seton Hall’s teams started training to compete and entering regional tournaments.
“Since I have been involved, Victor has been instrumental in pushing this program ahead, educating me on the business of esports and getting the program formally recognized by the university,” said Paul Fisher, associate chief information officer at Seton Hall. “Prior to 2019, he was instrumental in placing the club program into the spotlight, (gaining) recognition from major game developers and others across the industry.”
A high point for Gomez came in 2015, when Riot Games flew him and other collegiate leaders to Santa Monica, Calif., for a “League of Legends” Collegiate Summit. Gomez offered the company his opinions, talked about the gaming scene on campus and networked with other leaders in the industry. Seton Hall was one of just nine schools from the northeast selected to attend the summit, and the only one from New Jersey.
The past two years have been an action-packed tale of grit, partnerships and hard work at Seton Hall. The university unveiled its Rocket League and League of Legends teams and its new esports lab. The teams have already claimed success as the first BIG EAST tournament champion in the 2018 ESL Rocket League Winter Invitational and the 2020 BIG EAST League of Legends Championship.
“I am confident that, together with this team, we will all be able to achieve the goals we’ve set out for the esports program at Seton Hall,” Fisher said.
For Gomez, the opportunity to serve as the inaugural esports manager will allow him to unite the goals of the esports program with Seton Hall’s “Harvesting our Treasure” strategic plan.
“It is an honor and a dream come true, as well as a lesson in determination that I hope to impart on our students,” Gomez said. “I am excited to grow our program, highlight our players, and I look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the campus community and continue our success.”
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