Cornell, Coe expand long-running rivalry to esports arena
The storied rivalry between Coe and Cornell goes back more than 100 years, but now the two schools are taking the competition into the digital realm.
Cornell College will take on Coe College in the esports arena in two competitions on Oct. 16 (at Coe) and Oct. 23 (at Cornell), both during the Homecoming weekends at each institution.
Cornell College Coach Jack Vonkampen says all 56 players in his program are looking forward to taking on Coe–a school similar in size.
“I’m looking forward to finally extending this historical rivalry to esports,” VonKampen said. “This is the first time this year we will play them in any game. I’m excited to see how we fight against a school like Coe, as our normal competition is from much larger schools.”
The two programs will challenge each other, in person, in four different games–Valorant and Overwatch 2 at Coe and League of Legends and Rocket League at Cornell.
“Almost all of our matches for esports take place online, so getting the experience of competing in person is great,” VonKampen said. “The intensity and stakes seem so much higher when you’re able to see who you’re playing against.”
Ryan Devine, a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major who plays support for the League of Legends Varsity team, is especially looking forward to taking on Coe. As a lacrosse player, his team hasn’t had the opportunity to be part of the long-running Bremner cup competition since Coe doesn’t have a lacrosse team.
Now it’s his turn.
“This is an amazing opportunity to contribute to the rivalry,” Devine said. “I am very excited to start it off with a bang and watch it grow.”
Cornell’s esports team is ready.
The arena in the Thomas Commons is always filled with Cornell players putting in the work to improve their skills for their teams. And that work is paying off.
“Our teams are looking very strong so far this year,” VonKampen said. “As of Oct. 14, our Rocket League team is currently 3-2 in the toughest tier of NACE [National Association of Collegiate Esports] competition, our Valorant team is 2-1 in NACE competition, our League of Legends team is 5-1 and our Smash Ultimate team has started 3-1. Overwatch 2 has started 2-0, while Apex Legends and Rainbow Six Siege are currently getting into the bulk of their seasons.”
While this year’s first challenge won’t be part of the official Cornell/Coe Bremner Cup competition just yet, both teams hope that will be the case in the future. For now, they’re playing for bragging rights and, eventually, a trophy that’s currently in the design phase.
“While I am most excited about the match that I will be playing in, I think that it’s going to be super fun watching all of the different teams compete,” Devine said. “Since it takes place during a weekend of homecoming festivities, Cornell’s morale will be especially high already. It is the perfect time to beat Coe!”
While 2022 marked the 131st football game against Coe, 2022 will mark the very first matchup on digital turf as the newest challenge in this growing rivalry. Go Rams!
