AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference and commissioner David Brunk are pleased to announce that Centre College will join the league as an associate member in Esports beginning this fall. Centre will compete in all four PBC titles with Rocket League, Overwatch, Valorant and League of Legends.
"We are excited to welcome Centre College to the PBC Esports family," said commissioner Brunk. "Their growth and success since founding the program demonstrates their commitment to building a lasting program with a strong focus on the student-athlete. I am grateful to Director of Athletics and Recreation Brad Fields and Director of Esports Grant Lyon that they have chosen the Peach Belt as their Esports home."
Located in Danville, Ky., Centre founded their program in the summer of 2022 with Lyon coming on board that August. The Colonels won the NECC Challengers Southeast division title in Overwatch last December and reached the final of the Overwatch Emergents Northeast Championship this past April.
“We are proud to sponsor esports as one of our 25 varsity intercollegiate programs within the athletics umbrella at Centre," said Centre Director of Athletics and Recreation Brad Fields. "It was important for us to find a conference home where our program can continue to grow and thrive. I’ve known the folks at the Peach Belt Conference for two decades now and I’m confident in their commitment to provide our student-athletes with a first-class, competitive experience.
"In particular, I want to thank Ken Gerlinger and Diana Kling for their patience with us as we got our program off the ground, and for the opportunity extended to us to become associate members of the PBC in esports.”
The Peach Belt Conference was the first NCAA conference to offer Esports as a league championship starting in 2018. It was also the first partner conference of Riot Games for their College League of Legends championships.
Centre College will be the second NCAA Division III associate member for PBC Esports, joining Huntingdon College who were announed as an associate member in July. The PBC currently has Esports members from all three NCAA divisions.
“The Peach Belt Conference is a great fit for Centre Esports," said Director of Esports Grant Lyon. "We are excited for our teams to join a conference that takes Esports seriously and provides a structure more similar to our traditional sports. PBC will offer our athletes a more prestigious and well-organized competition. We are especially thrilled about the opportunity for twice-yearly in-person championship tournaments.”
Centre will begin fall competition in Overwatch and Rocket League starting on Sept. 14. The fall regular season will cover seven weeks, building towards the fourth annual PBC Fall Esports Festival in Florence, S.C. That event will be held Nov. 2-3 at the Florence Civic Center and feature PBC Championships for Overwatch and Rocket League, the PBC's first-ever Super Smash Bros. competition as well as several collegiate open events and events open to the general pubic in dozens of titles. More information on the Fall Festival will be made available soon on the PBC website peachbelt.com