USC Sumter esports program soaring with recent success
College's coach would like to add more local 'gamers' to team
Major sports teams at area colleges are gearing up for the season ahead, but there is one sport at University of South Carolina Sumter that people will likely not see in the headlines this fall.
It is esports, and the Fire Ants generally have 30 to 40 student-athletes who are recruited to the college as "gamers," compete against other schools across the nation and earn scholarship assistance to boot, according to the team Director and Head Coach Kris Weissmann.
USC Sumter was a trailblazer in the state in video gaming in 2015 when it started the first esports official varsity collegiate program in South Carolina to include both public and private colleges.
Now, 10 or more colleges in the Palmetto State have official varsity teams in esports, Weissmann said. Those other schools include Morris College here in Sumter, Lander University, Winthrop and Columbia International University.
The local college has numerous sports, and Fire Ants esports' student-athletes receive scholarships based on need and qualifications spread among the team's players, like other athletes on campus, he added.
Currently, there are more males than females in the esports program, but some years there has been an even split, the coach said.
The school's gamers compete against other two-year colleges, or junior colleges, in the National Junior College Athletic Association and also compete in other leagues against four-year schools.
Current intercollegiate contests and tournaments are in games that include Call of Duty, Rocket League, Smash Brothers, Valorant, Fortnite and Marvel Rivals.
The team competes in both the fall and spring semesters.
After winning two junior college national championships in their first decade of existence, the Fire Ants have added seven more junior college championships since spring 2025, Weissmann said, and more trophies in tournaments against four-year schools.
He credits the recent increased success to various factors, including support from USC Sumter's leadership.
"Ultimately, I attribute our success to continued support from the school and recruiting quality players who work hard to be the best they can," Weissmann added. "Then, I have an additional coaching staff in three assistants thanks to the support of our institution."
The Fire Ants coaches recruit student-athletes from all over, but they would like to recruit more players from the local area.
"We want more kids locally to know we are here and jump into the possibilities," he said. "We know kids play games nowadays, and this is another opportunity for high school students to go to college. Our desire is to help transition students to USC Sumter."
Classes at the college begin next week on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and there are "some last-minute opportunities" still available on the team, Weissmann added. Even if the fall semester is not feasible for some students, the program is constantly recruiting, and opportunities may be available in the spring semester in January.