Digital Lions Push for Continued Gaming Success

Written By: Ian Silvester

The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith eSports team, Digital Lions, is back in action for another fast-paced year of competitive gaming. 

Things will look slightly different this year, as the team has added Mario Kart and Marvel Rivals to the usual rotation of League of Legends, Valorant, Smash, Rocket League, and Overwatch 2. With five recent graduates, the team, led by faculty coaches Dr. Nicki Stancil and Cody Holt, is recruiting players for most games. 

Digital Lions has been on campus since the spring of 2023 and has consistently been one of the top-performing eSports teams at the collegiate level and across Arkansas.  

“I’m extremely proud,” Stancil said. “We are both (Stancil and Holt) games in general. So, there’s pride in a pastime of our own that you can see becoming infectious across the community and where we work; it’s really neat.” 

Digital Lions competes in the Midwest Collegiate eSports Conference, or MCEC, and has plans to compete in an in-person LAN tournament, Stancil said. Outside of practice, this event will be one of the first times that the new games and players will be challenged. Newcomer and Mario Kart captain Jazmin Aguilar, a sophomore biology major, will have a chance to put her skills on display. 

“It’s not my first rodeo being captain of a Mario Kart team,” she said. “I was captain in high school, but college is going to be a bit different—a bit more professional. I’m not too worried about it.” 

Since Digital Lions' inception, Stancil and Holt have watched the team grow in popularity and diversity. The team began with only one female but has since gained more and now has a girl as team captain, Jazmin. Stancil said this proves the growing interest is valid. 

“The diversity of students who have started to become more and more interested in eSports is fantastic,” Stancil said. “A lot of the girls talk about having played eSports in high school, too.” 

The Digital Lions space is located on the second floor of the Baldor Building in room 207. Interested students, including WATC students, are encouraged to come by to learn more and can play with the teams.  

“You can come in, play games, meet some people on the team, and arrange practice sessions,” Holt said. “We are happy to help students grow their competitive skill set. Even if a student isn’t somebody who plays competitively, our teams are happy to have people around to practice with.” 

Athletes are expected to uphold academic standards. Stancil and Holt proudly reported that Digital Lions has one of the highest collective GPAs among all UAFS Athletics. 

Follow Digital Lions on Instagram, Twitch, and X. 

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