College Park Skyhawks And Hawks Talon Gaming Announce New Partnership

Both Affiliate Teams of the Atlanta Hawks Will Work with the University to Provide Educational Experiences to Students

The College Park Skyhawks, the official G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, along with Hawks Talon Gaming, the NBA 2K League affiliate of the Hawks, announced a new, first-of-its-kind partnership with the University of West Georgia (UWG). UWG, located in Carrollton, Ga., will work with both teams to provide their students with memorable and valuable educational experiences in both the sports and esports worlds.

“We are so excited to help educate the future generations about ways that they can have a career in sports and esports,” said Janice Koon, Vice President of Operations for College Park Skyhawks and Hawks Talon Gaming. “To peel back the curtain and help mold the next generation of industry professionals and leaders is something we are excited to get started on.”

The partnership will include events and initiatives with both affiliate properties, giving UWG students the opportunity to learn and experience the traditional sports career path and the growing esports world. Events will include “Career Beyond the Console”, hosted by Hawks Talon Gaming where students are educated on career paths in the world of esports, and will include input from Hawks Talon Gaming executives and UWG faculty.

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The Skyhawks will also host a “University of West Georgia Day” on March 6 where a group of students can visit the Skyhawks organization and hear directly from executives from the Skyhawks, Atlanta Hawks, Hawks Talon Gaming, and Gateway Center Arena. UWG will also feature on signage in the Gateway Center Arena throughout the entire G League season.

“This partnership with the College Park Skyhawks and Hawks Talon Gaming exemplifies UWG’s commitment to curating a first-choice university for our students with distinctive, world-class experiences both inside and outside the classroom,” said Dr. Brendan B. Kelly, president of UWG. “We look forward to our students having a front-row seat to learn from two of the most sophisticated enterprises in the Atlanta metropolitan area.”

In addition to events, the partnership includes an internship that will give a UWG student the opportunity to work in the Skyhawks and Hawks Talon Gaming organizations, learning the worlds of sports and esports business while developing quality career skills to help pave a path forward to new opportunities.

“The world of gaming and esports is growing so fast, and it is important for us to teach kids about ways that they can be involved in it,” said Hawks Talon Gaming Director of Esports Wesley Acuff. “Getting to work with UWG will be a great opportunity for us to reach students and bring them into our world.”