College Esports in Kansas City
Bring Your Skills to The Hill
Professional esports leagues have been popular for several years, but competition at the collegiate level is an emerging and exciting new space for students who excel in the classroom and in the game.
At William Jewell College, we award esports student-athletes up to $3,500, and we recently constructed a new esports training and competition facility. Our Esports team and Gaming Club offers a space and community for both casual and competitive gamers to meet people on campus with similar interests, compete against other colleges and have fun. Players join our program with a wide range of experience in gaming, but all have been able to make friends while also building skills like dedication, teamwork and communication alongside other like-minded Jewell students.
Meet the Coach
Conon “EF5 Albino” Gillis has been a lifelong gamer across multiple games, including competing at the national championship for Yu-Gi-Oh while in junior high and winning a worldwide Dice Throne tournament in his 30s. However, his esports career centered around competing on a national and regional level in the Halo series, including time representing multiple sponsored U.S. gaming organizations. Gillis has had the chance to coach Halo teams in professional brackets at in-person and online tournaments.
After graduating with a degree in secondary education, Gillis taught high school social studies for 10 years and coached the school’s esports team across multiple titles including Super Smash Bros, Ultimate, League of Legends and Rocket League. He has also been involved with organizing events and tournaments for Halo, Super Smash Bros, League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League and more.
Think You Have What It Takes?
Our competitive teams began our collegiate leagues in Spring 2024. Look what our players have achieved!
- Counterstrike Conference Semifinalists – Spring 2024
- Overwatch Conference Semifinalists – Fall 2024
- Super Smash Bros. Conference Finalists – Fall 2024
- Overwatch Conference Top 6 – Spring 2025
- Super Smash Bros. Conference Champions – Spring 2025 (no points dropped all season)
We are continuing to expand our number of teams and titles offered, including forming JV teams for players who are newer to competitive or team play. We also have students interested in forming teams for games like Rocket League, Halo, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Marvel Rivals and Valorant.
Our students also participate in non-competitive gaming like Dungeons & Dragons, trading card games, Minecraft, and many more.
Jewell is proud to be the hub for college esports in Kansas City and beyond. Contact us or get in contact with our coach to discuss your interest further.