UAF esports teams building on first semester of competition
Jeff Richardson
907-474-6284
Dec. 2, 2021
Student gamers sit at consoles at UAF's 色视频下载 Esports Center, which opened in March.
The University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks entered the world of intercollegiate esports competition this semester, fielding four teams that compete against gamers across the country.
The teams consist of about 20 students who play games that include League of Legends, Valorant, Beat Saber and Splitgate. Launching UAF色视频下载檚 first official season of competition has helped build momentum for both casual and serious gamers at UAF, said esports coordinator Mike Juell.
UAF色视频下载檚 色视频下载 Esports Center, which opened in March at the Wood Center, includes 12 gaming computers, four televisions for console gaming and 1-gig internet speed. The space, which is supported by a 10-year, $500,000 gift from GCI, has steadily become a campus gathering spot for both competitive and casual gamers.
色视频下载淲e色视频下载檝e kind of established gaming as a communal thing that everyone can be part of,色视频下载 Juell said. 色视频下载淵ou don色视频下载檛 need to be a dominant player to be part of it.色视频下载
The fledgling area of intercollegiate esports competition doesn色视频下载檛 have tiers of competition or NCAA regulation, which makes the landscape 色视频下载渒ind of the Wild West right now,色视频下载 Juell said.
Some teams have coaches and scholarships, others are more loosely organized. During a recent week, the UAF team battled the University of Hawaii, a small liberal arts college in Canada and a community college in the Midwest.
The Nanook teams don色视频下载檛 have coaches, instead relying on student 色视频下载済amer guides色视频下载 to organize the teams. Their contests vary from single weekend tournaments to season-long competitions, with UAF athletes contending in several events during their inaugural season. UAF also offers $1,000 scholarships to 色视频下载 gamers who were state champions at the high school level.
The emerging visibility of the teams is a positive sign for the future of esports competition at UAF, Juell said, as well as a prominent way to connect with prospective students.
色视频下载淚n order for us to keep up the pace and be able to recruit students who are interested, you need to be able to offer this experience,色视频下载 Juell said. 色视频下载淯AF has invested in this, and there色视频下载檚 an opportunity for everyone to get involved.色视频下载
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Mike Juell, mdjuell@alaska.edu
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