Matt Buerckholtz Tabbed as New Executive Director for Roosevelt Lakers Esports

CHICAGO – The Roosevelt University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Vice President of Athletics and Student Success, Mike Cassidy, have announced the appointment of Matt Buerckholtz as the new Executive Director for the Lakers Esports program.

"I am happy to welcome Matt to Roosevelt University to lead our eSports program," said Cassidy. "His expertise and leadership will optimize engagement platforms for our current participants and allow for us to create even more opportunities for students in the future."  

A veteran of the Chicago collegiate Esports scene, Buerckholtz cut his teeth in the collegiate Esports industry as a competitor and manager at DePaul University. Specializing in Super Smash Bros., Buerckholtz competed for DePaul from 2016-2022, gaining tremendous knowledge of the collegiate Esports arena. Away from competition, Buerckholtz became a swiss army knife for the DePaul Esports team organizing events, coordinating multiple teams, livestreaming events, managing social media accounts, and more.

"As someone who spent a lot of time as a collegiate Esports competitor, I know what it is like to long for a platform to express my competitive nature and skill in gaming," said Buerckholtz. "It has always been my priority within the collegiate Esports space to be able to provide the most opportunities possible for each student to discover more about themselves. Whether it is through competition, building and bonding through community, or by helping them explore the many other non-competitive roles within the Esports industry, it will be my top priority to positively impact our students."

At Roosevelt, Buerckholtz will lead the Lakers varsity teams in various titles, including Valorant, League of Legends, Call of Duty, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Buerckholtz added, "I am stoked to get to work with a program that has such passionate players and community members, and I look forward to the future of Roosevelt Lakers Esports!"

Buerckholtz graduated with an undergraduate degree in psychology, and is currently finishing his master's degree in community psychology from DePaul University.