League of Wildcats is aiming to connect the online gamer community at ACU in its first official year on campus. The focus of the group is to encourage community and competition among each other through the popular online game League of Legends.

League of Legends is an online game in which players take control of specific roles on their team and fight to gain control of the opposing teams’ base while defending their own. The game is popular among online gamers, especially college students and even has its own intercollegiate league that is open to teams from universities all over the United States, complete with NCAA standards and regulations.

The group began when Vic McCracken, assistant professor of theology and ethics, started to play casually online against his students. The League soon experienced rapid growth as the game increased in popularity, said Daniel Archer, acting president.

“I began meeting more ACU students and making more friends on campus through the game,” said Archer, senior English major from Abilene. “I really wanted to bring more organization to the community and create a community around the game.”

League of Wildcats recently has been recognized as an official club by the Students’ Association, which required the group to form an officer team and lay out a five-year plan for growth as well as a budget.

“We decided as an officer team to not charge dues in our first year to generate more interest and gain notoriety,” Archer said.

The group plans to eventually charge dues much like a social club, with the funds going to planning interest meetings, advertising more on campus and sponsoring teams to play in competitive online tournaments against other college teams like University of Texas and Texas Tech.

While most of the club’s interaction is online, Archer said the league plans to conduct interest meetings and play together in a physical location on campus.

“I just want to get ACU’s name out in the world of eGaming, to let them know that we are here,” Archer said.

Those interested in joining League of Wildcats can email Archer at dla10a@acu.edu.