News
Chad Weeden
-
March 12, 2025
![A team of five esports players wearing matching orange and black jerseys poses on stage, holding a championship trophy in front of a large tiger-themed backdrop.]()
RIT launches esports scholarships
Rochester Business Journal talks to Chad Weeden, director of Esports and CyberSecurity Range (CSR), about RIT's new eSports scholarship program.
-
March 12, 2025
![Two gamers wearing pink-lit headsets sit in ergonomic chairs, intensely focused on their computer screens displaying a multiplayer game in a dimly lit esports arena.]()
A Look Inside the Rapid Rise of eSports in College Athletics
College Express talks about the significance of eSports and features RIT's plans to award scholarships for fall 2025.
-
February 28, 2025
![A person holds a game controller.]()
RIT introduces esports scholarships
The scholarships recognize students for their competitive video gaming skills and dedication to representing the university at the highest level. Since forming in 2016, RIT Esports has become one of the largest and best collegiate esports programs in the world.
-
April 7, 2022
![computer gaming consoles with monitors, keyboards and headsets.]()
The emergence of esports
The Rochester Beacon talks to Chad Weeden, director of Esports and CyberSecurity Range, about esports at RIT.
-
March 3, 2021
![people on computers in rows in a large, dark room with TV and projector screens.]()
IBM gift to help RIT’s Global Cybersecurity Institute enhance workforce development
IBM is making a more than $3.3 million in-kind donation to RIT to help enhance cybersecurity capabilities in the university’s new Global Cybersecurity Institute, as well as support security training and competitions for students.
-
September 28, 2020
![student playing computer game.]()
No timeout for RIT Esports during pandemic
While many college athletics are on a timeout during the pandemic, esports at RIT are plugged in and fully operational. This semester, RIT Esports has student groups playing 15 different competitive games, along with four teams to support esports operations. As teams begin their fall leagues, students are finding different ways to practice and scrimmage in a socially distanced manner.
-
January 8, 2020
![students wearing headset sitting a table with computers.]()
Forget football. Video games are the next big college sport
Experience magazine talks to Chad Weeden, director of RIT Esports, about the social benefits of esports.
-
December 16, 2019
![three e-sports players holding up trophy on stage.]()
RIT Esports wins Hearthstone Collegiate Championship
Students from RIT Esports bested more than 300 teams from across North America to win the 2019 Hearthstone Collegiate Championship Fall Finals on Dec. 14. The RIT student team took home the top trophy and $6,000 in scholarships for playing the digital card game Hearthstone.
-
May 29, 2019
![Student wearing headphones using music keyboard connected to computer monitor.]()
RIT experts shine at Rochester’s Light and Sound Interactive Conference June 25-27
RIT experts will help Rochester push the edge of light- and sound-based technologies at the Light and Sound Interactive conference. The event aims to spur economic growth, as leading technologists and innovators come to Rochester for collaboration on the future of light-and-sound based technologies, applications and emerging industries.
-
May 16, 2019
![RIT esports coach and student.]()
Podcast: Esports Levels Up
Intersections: The RIT Podcast, Ep. 15: Esports are surging in popularity, and RIT’s collegiate esports teams are making an impact in the growing field. With multiple championships and national rankings under their belt, the Esports program is looking to take things to the next level. Evan Hirsh, president of RIT Esports, talks with the team’s adviser, Chad Weeden, about the rise of competitive video gaming and the university’s teams.
