The “Splatoon” series has had a rocky introduction to the University of Oklahoma’s Esports roster. In June of 2025, the “Splatoon 3” team at OU fell inactive and was forced to disband. As of the fall semester, the team was able to rise again and accomplish the impossible through hard work and rigor. Alas, when the spring semester rolled around, the team disbanded once again due to an insufficient number of returning and new members. In this article, we highlight how the team made its fall comeback, and outline how it intends to return better than ever in the fall of 2026.
Making of a Leader
During the summer of 2025, Seth Sanders, a Neuroscience major and freshman, picked up the role of Coach and Development Lead of the “Splatoon” team once he heard that the team lost momentum in the off-season. Sanders states, “Prior to the Splatoon team had been considered gone and dead… As an incoming freshman, I stepped up and asked if there was any way I could bring the team back. The response I was given was yes, but the caveat is that it would be all be all of my hands on my own if I could take up that responsibility.”
Before taking this leadership role, Sanders began his journey as a “Splatoon” player with the initial release of “Splatoon” for the WiiU in May of 2015. As such, he played throughout its lifetime before “Splatoon 2” released in June of 2017. While he played these games, Sanders found himself enjoying the gameplay greatly but never hopped into the competitive field until the release of “Splatoon 3” in September of 2022.
When “Splatoon 3” gained popularity, so did Sanders’ own ambition to join the competitive field. In his senior year of high school in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, Sanders led a team between him and his three friends, eventually winning state during his fall semester. But during his second semester, his team switched leagues and did not perform as well as they had hoped. Despite that, Sanders states,“We still did it pretty well and enjoyed it.”
It wasn’t until the summer of his freshman year of university that Sanders discovered OU Esports & Co-Curricular Innovation’s “Splatoon” team, only to find that the team was no more. This discovery led to Sanders reviving the “Splatoon” team for good.
The team’s revival was not without its hiccups. One of the biggest challenges was having the numbers to be able to compete, followed by the very nature of Splatoon’s gameplay, and finally, Sanders’ responsibilities as leader. At the front of the trial was opening up tryouts and finding players who were willing to compete in the first place, then the synergy of the team and their placements, and finally followed by the overall longevity of the team.
Stepping Up
One of the key factors of this team’s revival, is the very ability to step up in the face of adversity. For Sanders, that meant taking up the reins of the remains of the team and bringing them back to their former glory. But for Nathaniel Budzisz, stepping up opened doors to a different path.
On the night of the OU ECCI’s All-Dev meeting, the meeting where all branches in the Co-Curricular side of the club meet under the director, Mike “Moog” Aguilar. Nathaniel Budzisz found himself in the Gaming Lounge after bumping into Jacob “Oculus” Ross on an afternoon walk while headshots were taking place, found himself interested in the activities on the scene. Finally meeting with Anita Ly, who informed him on the competition side of the Esports organization, and the later the titles that the organization hosts.
Because of this, Budzisz was reminded of a time in high school where he played top-level “Splatoon,” which led him to take the initiative to try out for the “Splatoon” team, and eventually joined as their final member. However, to Budzisz’s surprise, the “Splatoon” team lost a member that day and were in need of another to fill that spot to allow them to compete this season.
Making the Team
One of the biggest hurdles for the “Splatoon” team’s revival was finding members who were willing to try out and join the team regardless of the uncertain circumstances. For Sanders, the challenge lied in extending beyond his connections from high school to have a group of players willing to compete for the Collegiate level.
Once tryouts came to a close, five members ended up on the current team. Colt Haltom, Astrophysics major; Ella Haiges, Meteorology major; Prince Gaspar Salguero, Astrophysics major; Krish Gandhi, Aerospace engineer major; and Nathanial Budzisz, Psychology major. The five made their way up the rungs of the CCA to make their mark on OU’s splatoon competitive history. Two of which being Seth’s own teammates from his senior year of high school competition.
The “Splatoon” team as a whole is very diverse in terms of their roles and positions played during fast-paced matches. The current lineup stands with Seth Sanders as their front-line slayer, often picking up short-ranged weapons with quick mobility to push the team into action. Followed by Nathanial Budzisz as the mid-line support, with his duties lying in backing up Sanders, and keeping both Ella Haiges and Prince Gspar Salguero out of danger as the two respective backliners. Finally, with Colt Haltom as their rotational mid-liner, often backing up Sanders with front-line support.
Splatattack for the Future!
As the team grew, so did their accomplishments. The team ranked ninth out of sixteen in their division at the Collegiate Cephalopod League (CCA), the university-level Swiss-style Esports league. Although the team did not have enough members to continue into the spring semester of 2026, they fully intend to bounce back stronger than ever in the fall!
What continues to support the team are their goals of coming together to become the very image of the environment they wish to foster. For Sanders, his goals for the “Splatoon” team lie in the competitive sphere. Sanders remarks, “As far as goals… we definitely have some teams that we’re looking at, that are benchmark goals. If we’re able to beat them, then we know that we’re truly progressing.”
Furthermore, Sanders highlights the importance of communication in the team. Since communication and call-outs are necessary to the flow of battle, being able to have that core teamplay allows the team to go forward with their progression in the big leagues. On top of that, Sanders makes note of team variety, wanting his team to expand outward with their roles and weapons so they can get above the level of their opponents.
Nathaniel Budzisz aims for the team to last as long as possible and to recruit more players. Budzisz goes on to state, “I wanted to continue [competing] over the course of years, because ‘Splatoon’ [has] a competitive side that is… getting good attention. Right now,… there’s competitive potential on the Nintendo line of games, because we have ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.’”
As for Prince Gasper Salguero, their goals follow Budzisz and Sanders’ own in the realm of teamwork. Not only knowing their teammates, but meshing with their play styles. Overall, becoming one as a team, unified in every way possible.
Krish Ghandi, a member of the team and the dedicated caster, follows suit with this Prince’s goal, expressing: “They’ve [Main lineup] been improving every single week, every single team comp, there’s been improvement. They’ve been shouting out team coms, gameplay-wise, learning what mistakes that they’ve done and how they can improve from it.” Gandhi’s ultimate goal is not only to see the team strive, but for their Production branch, SplatCAST, to improve with them as well.
Final Word
To those who have their doubts about Esports, Nathanial Budzisz says, “Take the chance, because the one thing is that you can make it. You can make the cut to be a part of a competitive team, and by making that cut… [you get] introduced to a new environment that might seem alien to you at first, but over time, you will recognize that you belong where you are.”
Budzisz continues to state that if your passion in anything is strong enough, you should take it in your own hands and push for the results you want. For him, being able to compete in Splatoon for OU, means the world to him.
As a final note, Budzisz reminds us that gaming is something that we can always come back to. The fact that there’s a community as OU that facilitates this and allows this is huge, and he extends his gratitude to Mike “Moog” Agular for making a place for the gamers at OU to nurture that talent.
