Brookdale Community College’s award-winning Esports Arena was buzzing with energy on February 7 as it hosted the nation’s first College Esports Recruitment Combine, presented by Garden State Esports (GSE).
The groundbreaking event marked the latest collaboration between Brookdale Community College, Camden County College, and Stockton University, strengthening a growing statewide pipeline that connects more than 12,000 student gamers across 400 New Jersey schools to higher education and career pathways.
“The combine this past Saturday felt like a true next step in scholastic esports,” said Chris Boehmer, Director of Brookdale Esports. “It was an event you can only envision as a lofty goal in the start-up process, and to see it come to fruition with such passion and execution from all angles was something special. New Jersey has a bright future in the esports space thanks to the foundations being laid by GSE. I also cannot give high enough praise to my team and the students here in Brookdale Esports for ensuring such an event ran so smoothly from top to bottom.”
In the months leading up to the Combine, a Garden State Esports evaluation panel selected the top 60 high school players in New Jersey across Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rocket League, Valorant, and Overwatch 2. With parental permission, recruitment profiles were shared in advance with participating institutions, resulting in seven scholarship offers even before the event began.
Thirty colleges and universities attended the Combine, including nine from New Jersey, representing nearly $1.5 million in available merit-based and esports scholarships. College scouts observed players in live competition while also meeting student producers, broadcasters, and technical crew members who ran the event.
“The Combine is about more than competition; it’s about opportunity,” said Chris Aviles, Founder and President of Garden State Esports. “Players, producers, casters, and technical crew are all showcasing skills that colleges value. This event shows what happens when education, esports, and workforce readiness are intentionally aligned.”
The Combine builds on previous joint initiatives, including the Collegiate Conference, the only face-to-face college esports conference in the country, and New Jersey’s official Referee & Tournament Organizer Certification Course.
Importantly, the event spotlighted the full esports ecosystem. As with all GSE live events, production, broadcasting, and operations were entirely student-run, offering hands-on experience in media production, IT, event management, and live streaming. Students working behind the scenes were also eligible for scholarship opportunities.
With Brookdale’s state-of-the-art Esports Arena serving as the backdrop, the College Recruitment Combine underscored the institution’s leadership in innovative programming that blends student engagement, academic advancement, and workforce development.
As esports continues to gain recognition as a varsity-eligible activity and a viable career pathway, partnerships like this demonstrate how Brookdale and its collaborators are shaping the future of college recruitment in New Jersey and beyond.