CHICAGO – Saint Xavier University Esports has joined the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) in 2024-25 as an affiliate member after being a part of the Great Lakes Esports Conference (GLEC) last season. The Cougars will compete in all four of the WHAC's game offerings: Rocket League, Valorant, League of Legends and Overwatch 2. Also joining SXU as an affiliate member with be Bethel University (Ind.) from the Crossroads League, as well as Defiance College (Ohio), who left NCAA Division III to join the WHAC this season. With these additions, the total number of schools competing in WHAC Esports climbs to 12.

"Some of the best college esports competition can be found in the WHAC, so I'm proud that we're joining this league," said head coach Lemar Daniels. "Playing against other NAIA schools not only will continue to legitimize our sport, but also provide us exciting competition in a conference that has continuously been first-rate in the NAIA."

Saint Xavier Athletics Director Ken Alston had this to say about the next step for the esports program, "SXU Athletics couldn't be more excited to join the WHAC as an affiliate member for Esports. Coach Daniels and our team await the challenge as this provides more competitions in a variety of titles for them. We are grateful to WHAC Commissioner Eric Ward and the institutions of the WHAC for this opportunity."

The Cougars enter their third season of play in esports. The Valorant squad claimed the GLEC Michigan Division regular season title after a 9-0 record last fall. The Rocket League team won the GLEC Michigan Division regular season crown in the spring and placed third in the GLEC Spring Tournament. 'Toast' Marcos Nunez (Oak Lawn, Ill./Oak Lawn Community) from Rocket League earned All-GLEC First Team honors. From Overwatch 2, 'alphabet' William Barquero Roman (Miami, Fla./Archimedean Upper Conservatory) and 'IntenseTimbo' Timothy Novak (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) were All-GLEC First Team and All-GLEC Second Team, respectively. Coach Daniels was recognized at the GLEC Director of the Year. SXU also competes in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU).

The 12 schools represented in WHAC Esports: Aquinas College (Mich.), Bethel, Cleary University (Mich.), Concordia University-Ann Arbor (Mich.), Cornerstone University (Mich.) (in Rocket League only), Defiance, Indiana Institute of Technology, Lawrence Tech University (Mich.), Lourdes University (Ohio), Rochester Christian University (Mich.), Saint Xavier and Siena Heights University (Mich.).