A state-of-the-art esports arena has opened on the D’Youville University campus. The arena, located on the second floor of Campus Center at the corner of Porter and Fargo, is dedicated to electronic sports, which is not only popular at the University, it is also rapidly growing on higher ed campuses throughout the country. Esports are organized, multiplayer video game competitions, typically played by players in more professional circles, with nuances of esteemed spectator sports.
“We are proud to offer esports gaming and to be part of the East Coast Conference (ECC) League and provide our students the opportunity to participate in local, regional, even national championships at a collegiate league,” said D’Youville President Lorrie Clemo, PhD. “It supports the inclusive environment at D’Youville. Our online students can compete from anywhere in the world. Students who may be unable to compete in rigorous athletics or students with structured academic and clinical schedules.”
According to Pew Research, over 90% of teenagers between 13 and 17 play video games.
D’Youville is capitalizing on the nation’s love of electronic sports, by providing students with access to many popular esports titles, including League of Legends, Overwatch, Super Smash Bros, and Rocket League.
“We started with three Rocket League players in 2020, and now in 2023, we will field 20 players in five different game titles,” said Mark Alicea, esports coach for D’Youville, who has overseen the program from club to ECC team play.
“Fast and reliable connectivity is foundational to competitive esports programs, and Spectrum Enterprise is helping to ensure that the digital infrastructure at D’Youville University supports an optimal gaming experience,” said Rajat Mukherji, Vice President, Vertical Markets for Spectrum Enterprise, which provides the network and robust connectivity that powers the D’Youville esports program. “We’re excited to have had the opportunity to help the D’Youville esports team implement a technology solution that can scale to support their continuing growth.”
According to University officials, Esports build critical skills that foster creativity and teamwork.
For more information, visit dyu.edu.