Southern University wins esports championship!
27th April 2026 · 0 Comments
By Fritz Esker
Contributing Writer
Southern University has a storied athletic history.
The Bayou Classic has long been an iconic sporting event. But now, Southern is blazing a new trail in sports: esports. On Wednesday, April 22, Southern University became the first HBCU to earn a Division II championship in esports by winning the ECAC EA Sports College Football National Championship.
“This is a monumental moment for Southern University and the entire HBCU landscape. We aren’t just participating in esports; we are setting the standard. I would like to thank God first for this win. This victory was a team effort that required total commitment to the plan,” said Christopher Turner, director and head coach of Southern University EDGE (Esports and Digital Gaming Ecosystem). “By diligently watching film and following the blueprint we created, we achieved success.”
Turner also offered thanks to Southern alumnus Mahcoe Edwards, former Madden champ and Alabama A&M alum Jaeveon Jordan, and Civ, the owner of civil.gg, for their assistance in Southern’s efforts.
Coby Robinson, a sophomore majoring in computer science from Crystal Springs, Mississippi, competed for Southern while playing as Texas in the video game. People around the world could watch the event for free on Twitch. The best-of-five championship series went to a decisive fifth game, which Robinson won 38-29 over a player from no. 1 seed Bellarmine University. Robinson goes by the gamertag K1NGC0BY.
“I feel great, happy and accomplished because this has been a dream of mine,” said Robinson in a press release. “To see myself continuing to dominate and make history shows that I belong and that my dream is within reach.”
While Coach Turner is proud of the championship, his goal for the program is for it to help students find careers even if they are not championship-level esports competitors. He said only about five percent of Black people participate in the gaming ecosystem but approximately 90 percent of Black people are consumers in that ecosystem. He wants to see more students from underrepresented communities get work as coders, game developers and engineers.
But Turner said there are also less-obvious career paths for Southern students to pursue in the gaming industry and elsewhere.
Southern has an acclaimed band and music program; modern video games feature musical scores comparable to major motion pictures. The U.S. Air Force and air traffic controllers are also showing an interest in young gamers because they feel those skills can translate to their work.
Turner started EDGE at Southern in 2020. He came to the university in 2019 after working as a high school teacher. At his former school, he ran a video game club. He saw a need at Southern for something targeting gaming’s massive popularity amongst youth. He said sports usually develop at the youth/school level then professional leagues begin, but esports worked in reverse. Players started making money playing it but most colleges did not have programs to coach and educate young players.
The preparation for esports can be intense and time-consuming. Turner estimated Robinson spent roughly 200-300 hours of prep time in EA Sports College Football over the past year and approximately another 200 hours playing the game in that time period. Turner said he and Robinson watched film on opponents and went through plays to create strong game plans. Robinson’s football knowledge is impressive.
“Coby could sit down with the best defensive minds at Southern and compare notes,” Turner said.
Esports is still not officially funded by Southern. Neither Robinson nor any of the other students in the program receive NIL money. The program is funded entirely through donations and alumni support. Turner is hopeful the championship might help in this regard.
“This is going to bring awareness and donations to the program,” Turner said. “It feels good…I’m definitely proud.”
This article originally published in the April 27, 2026 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
