Logan Rivera was convinced getting older meant two things: Going to college and giving up video games.
It turned out only one of those was true.
Now in his second semester at Blinn College, the sophomore from Katy, Texas, has turned his passion for gaming — predominantly playing entries in the popular Call of Duty franchise — into a productive side quest in his collegiate journey as he further prepares himself for life in the real world.
“After I graduated high school, I believed it was going to be college, homework, focusing on my grades, and no more video games,” said Rivera, who graduated from Katy High School in 2021. “Well, it just so happened I was able to include games in all of that, and in a positive way.”
One day prior to the start of the fall semester, Rivera learned of an open tryout for Blinn’s esports program and figured he’d try his luck for a spot on the Call of Duty squad. Having played Call of Duty for most of his life, Rivera was confident entering the tryout, but the competitive nature of esports competition left the 20-year-old somewhat intimidated.
“I had never played anything other than online with friends and strangers across the world,” Rivera explained. “I had never played at a competitive level, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.”
Not only did Rivera compete, he dominated.
“He wasn’t ranked, he wasn’t experienced at the collegiate level, but just watching him play, everyone could see just how naturally talented he was and how good he was,” Blinn assistant esports coach and Call of Duty team manager Ryan Lucich said. “Right away, I knew he needed to be a member of our team. I mean it when I say he has been one of my best finds.”
Lucich was so impressed with Rivera’s tryout that he granted the newcomer a partial scholarship.
Rivera’s first semester in collegiate Call of Duty competition resulted in historic success for the Blinn esports program. Alongside teammates David Rodriguez, Landon Campos, and Wesley King, Rivera dominated NJCAA Esports (NJCAAe) league play in the fall, posting a 6-1 regular-season record before going 2-1 in the NJCAAe Regional Playoffs and earning a spot in the NJCAAe National Tournament.
“Everyone on our team was awesome,” Rivera said. “There was just a vibe amongst us. Everyone was friends, we created a good team and good family environment, and I think that really carried us throughout the season.”
At the national tournament, Blinn defeated the University of South Carolina-Sumter and Central Community College on the same night to capture the team’s first championship and just the second national championship for the program.
“It was a rollercoaster of a run,” Lucich said. “We went through a few weeks where it felt like we couldn’t win a single map, but guys like Logan keep the morale up, and he certainly helped us believe we could reach the mountain top.”
Lucich said Rivera’s eagerness to learn competitive strategies and willingness to adapt to the team’s style of play was instrumental in capturing the championship.
“If I was to make a checklist of the perfect player, he checks every box,” Lucich added. “He has the right attitude, he is always willing to grow and learn, he gets along with everybody, he shows up every day, and shows up early ready to get to work.”
Rivera said he chose to attend Blinn because of the College’s Cloud Computing Program. He hopes work for an information technology department at Amazon or Google after graduation. Through his participation in esports, earning his two-year degree and furthering his main quest has been made easier.
“The friendships, the fun, the championship – all of that has been great,” Rivera said, “but having the opportunity to earn that scholarship toward my education, that has been really special.”
Based on his contributions to the program in the fall, Rivera was awarded a larger scholarship this spring.
“The coaches in our esports program have love and respect for every player here, and they value esports just as much as they do our academics,” Rivera said. “We have a very professional program here between the facilities and the coaches Blinn has. We’re setting the standard for what an esports program should be, and I’ve been extremely lucky to be a part of that.”
Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 45 NJCAA national championships since 1987.
