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UT Tyler e-sports teams receive first jerseys during special ceremony reveal on National Video Game Day

Ethan Jurkowski, player coach for the UT Tyler Valorant team, said Tuesday's ceremony meant a lot to him and the program.

TYLER, Texas — This week, UT Tyler celebrated its e-sports team by revealing their varsity jerseys during a special ceremony on National Video Game Day.

The university revealed their first e-sport team jerseys at the University Center Mabry Theater on Tuesday, which was National Video Game Day. While the team has been competing since 2021, the jerseys are there to make a statement that UT Tyler is serious about e-sports. 

The Patriots e-sports program is made up of three teams. Each team has their specific game that they compete in Valorant, Rocket League or Smash Brothers Ultimate.

"This right here, this means the school is watching," said Scott McPherson, UT Tyler Smash Brothers Ultimate teammate. "This means more people are getting into the sport that I love. It really is that we’re doing something important and a lot of people are going to enjoy."

Ethan Jurkowski, player coach for the UT Tyler Valorant team, said Tuesday's ceremony meant a lot to him and the program. 

"It means a whole lot of things are soon to come, not just for this school, but also for areas surrounding area high schools," Jurkowski said. 

The gamers won a national tournament last semester and brought home a trophy. The university's goal is to grow the program's number of teams and compete with UT Dallas, UT Arlington and other larger schools. 

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