Leveling up: Muskingum esports thrives under new leadership
By James Huggins
In the fall of 2019, Muskingum University officially launched an esports team on campus. Located in “The Arena” in the basement of Boyd Science Center, the team took off with 29 players on the roster and set out to compete in three games in the Great Lakes Esports Conference (GLEC). Today, four years later, the team has soared to 52 athletes and has five Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) National Championships under its belt.
/ Shot and edited by James Huggins
This year, the Fighting Muskies Esports team is under new leadership. Coach Jake Arno, a 2023 Ohio Northern graduate, is bringing his experience and enthusiasm to the roster. Arno interned at Miami University’s esports program, where he managed operations and logistics. Prior to this, he managed and coached esports teams at Ohio Northern University, overseeing player development and team growth.
Fighting Muskies Esports team coach, Jake Arno / Photo taken by James Huggins
“I kind of got into the competitive gaming scene, got good at CS go and Overwatch, and then went to college and I found out that my college had an overwatch team,” Arno said. “That kind of started everything where, you know, I was doing everything in the esports program, whether it was commentating, running tournaments, doing everything I could just because I was just so interested in how esports was.”
Beyond his managerial responsibilities, Arno actively participated in competitive esports as a varsity student-athlete for the Ohio Northern esports team. Arno excelled in Overwatch and Valorant, showcasing his versatility as a youth esports coach, Gaming Club president and esports general assistant. Now he is bringing it all back home to New Concord.
“I was born here. I spent the first 14 years of my life here. I applied to a couple [of schools], but this is the one, I had an offer [from] someone else, but this was, this was the one that like, I knew I wanted to do,” Arno said.
Arno brings a wealth of experience and new ideas to the young team: From building out a practice schedule to assigning study tables to encourage the “student first”-mentality at Muskingum University. He is advancing the program, as esports is at the forefront of the athletic world, with over 531 million viewers in 2022.
As the 2024 season kicked off, the Fighting Muskies Esports team is resolute in its mission to further enhance the university’s reputation. Arno is committed to preserving the team’s traditions while implementing a structured approach to enhance the skill level of his players.
Logan Roberts, a seasoned fourth-year member of the program, had the opportunity to share his insights and expectations for the upcoming season.
“This year feels a lot more structured...I think Jarno [Arno] and the GA, Secrets [Justin Brown] who I work with a little more closely, they have better plans. The Arena is more organized. The structure is just going to help competitive formats,” Roberts said.
The Muskingum Esports team offers a range of games for its athletes, from strategy-based games like League of Legends to fast-paced shooters like Valorant. Each game presents unique challenges and requires specialized skills, which the team has cultivated through a dedicated practice routine. Through Arno’s leadership the Fighting Muskies are looking to bring bigger and better things to their program.
For more information on how to get involved with the Muskingum Esports team on campus, contact coach Jake Arno via email, jarno@muskingum.edu.
