So. You’re a college student. This whole CollegeCoD thing you just happened to stumble upon you and after checking it out, it seems aight. Problem is, you’re just a college student. You have no idea how to find other people who play CoD. How do I start a team? Where should I look for people? Is there anyone else who plays competitive Call of Duty? Don’t worry. You’re not the only one to have to figure it all out.
During this off season, you have an amazing opportunity to start something big. You want to represent not only yourself, but your University in the CCL. First, look out for your school’s esports club or student organization. Make those connections, they’ll come in handy. Let them know you’re interested in starting a Call of Duty team. If your school does not have an esports student organization, that’s okay! Look into what it takes to start a student organization. Depending on your passion, start an esports or Call of Duty club! Chances are you’re going to have to use a separate logo from your university’s official one due to copyright, so your club should have one/create one!
Once you’re in your school’s esports club, you’ll have some additional resources to help find your players, even if it’s just the fact you’re an official presence. If your school has an esports discord, reach out to people in there to see if anyone is interested in playing or helping you find players. Reach out on the Competitive CoD reddit and your school’s reddit. Use your “Class of 20xx” Facebook groups to find people. Get the word out on your own social media’s. Get creative!! If you want to play, make it happen!!
This next bit of advice is scary. You might have to go outside. Go around campus in your free time and hang up posters! It’s old-fashioned, but it’s worked for others and will work for you! Follow our branding guidelines, create some posters, and hang them up in popularly travelled areas! Most schools require you to get approval for your posters, so be sure to check with your student leaders before posting.
Once you find players, remember that not everyone is going to be amazing at the game. Chances are, in year one you won’t have five insanely talented players. Groom your talent, teach them the game. Build a legacy. Once you graduate you can look back, and admire what you made happen.
We wish you the best of luck, and look forward to seeing you compete in the CCL!
Special thanks to Chris ‘Shack’ Shackelford, Sergio ‘Physix’ Brack, and Jack ‘Limitless’ Bunt for sharing their stories with us.
