University of Oregon Announces New Esports Lounge
It takes time to develop and grow esports at any level, even at the collegiate esports level. Esports facilities cost money and do not sprout up overnight. At the University of Oregon, it’s been a year since the college developed an esports scene, and it seems to be growing bigger with a new esports lounge opening at the campus in winter 2020.
It will be on the ground floor of the Erb Memorial Union, and any student can come here and game. Whether you’re a console gamer or a PC gamer, there will be something for you at the University of Oregon esports lounge to play, compete and practice on.
The 12,000 square-foot space will have 25 computers (15 mid-level, 10 esports-tier PCs) and several gaming consoles, including PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch to play on televisions. I also learned that there would be a small fee to use these PCs. This is fine because you must have the income to keep places like this going.
It All Started with League of Legends
It always seems to start with League of Legends. Before the esports scene developed, it began as a club for students to play League of Legends. Most places I’ve been a part of, it all started with people coming together to be salty in League of Legends. Many of my closest friends were forged in salt and anger upon Summoners Rift.
The University of Oregon has five varsity esports teams: League of Legends, Hearthstone, Call of Duty, Rocket League and Overwatch. Despite that. However, they lacked having a place to play on campus. Sure, people can practice at home or elsewhere, but it helps to have a place players can come together and work as a team in person.
David Gugliotti pointed out that they were on ESPN, but it didn’t go so well, “We were on ESPN last year, and we were getting made fun of because we didn’t have the jerseys,” said Gugliotti said. “We didn’t have the stuff that the other schools had.”
That must be embarrassing. But you know what? It doesn’t matter if you have jerseys or sponsors, or any of that nonsense. What matters is having the heart, time, and dedication to improve and work as a team in esports.
Growth in Esports and Beyond
Before this, the on-campus players had to play in their dorms or apartments. They had to rely on Wi-Fi to hold out while they played. This is all going to change in winter 2020 when esports evolves at the University of Oregon.
One thing I read from the Daily Emerald is that the esports program is more than just people wanting to compete in gaming. Professors are partnering with this program for doctoral studies on ethnography. Also, Duck TV will have a class on covering esports and helping with content creation.
Want to get into esports analysis or the production side of things? It sounds like they’ll have you covered too.
“Whether you want to work in esports or not, you can attach to our program and find a way to get something on your resume that’s going to help you get an internship or a job after you graduate,” Gugliotti said.
They want this program to grow. I do too, quite frankly. The University of Oregon says they have big plans for this esports program. I’m so glad to see colleges embracing this new form of entertainment and technology. It sounds like they’re welcome to anyone coming to the program. There are plenty of ways that time in the esports scene can help a student build a resume.
It fosters teamwork, learning new technology, communication and many other traits. I’m willing to bet that tons of students will go to this new gaming lounge when it arrives. You can make new friends, relax between classes or break into esports/content creation.
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