It would be inaccurate to call a fast-growing group like NIU Esports one of the best-kept secrets on campus. But for those not in the know, finding the group’s home base on the lower level of Neptune North was no easy feat.
President Lisa Freeman cuts the ribbon at the opening ceremony of NIU’s newly located Esports Arena in Altgeld Hall.
That problem was solved March 2 with the official opening of the team’s new Esports Arena in Altgeld Hall 100. Sitting just inside the main entrance to the university’s signature building, the new facility is about as conspicuously located as possible.
“Every campus tour goes right past our front door,” says Director of Outreach Strategic Initiatives Jeannine East, who oversees the Esports program for NIU Outreach, Engagement and Regional Development. “It’s so exciting to watch prospective students – or even currently enrolled students – walk through those doors and see their eyes light up when they realize that we have such an amazing facility dedicated to something that they are passionate about.”
That reaction is understandable.
Housed in what was once part of the university’s original gymnasium, the arena is festooned with the banners of the 14 members of Esports Collegiate, the conference in which NIU’s varsity esports team competes. The conference includes teams from all 12 Mid-American Conference Schools as well as two others.
Even more impressive is the technology on display, which includes:
Students enjoy gaming in the newly opened eSports Arena located in Altgeld Hall.
Along the back wall are two large movie screens on which games being played by players in the room, or elsewhere in the world, can be broadcast.
The space also includes couches and chairs for students to hang out, do homework and socialize, as well as areas for tabletop games ranging from chess to Dungeons and Dragons and everything in between.
The multi-purpose nature of the room is by design, says East, explaining that one of the goals was to create a place where people who enjoy games of all sorts can gather to play and mingle.
“We are excited that the arena is the home to our varsity team and the Esports Club, but it’s not just for them. It’s for any students – or faculty or staff for that matter – who enjoy gaming or want to learn more about it,” says Conner Vagle, esports general manager. Vagle, who is past-student president of the NIU Esports Club and joined the NIU Esports program as a full-time employee after graduation from NIU in 2019, runs the operations of the Esports Arena and the varsity program. “Over the last three years, we’ve seen tremendous growth of esports on campus, and now we can support that engagement even as we continue to grow.”
The turnout at the grand opening of the arena indicates that there is plenty of interest. More than 150 people were on hand to see what the space has to offer, including NIU President Dr. Lisa Freeman, who has made support of the esports program a priority during her time as president.
“I can’t think of a better place for this new arena than right here in Altgeld Hall,” Dr. Freeman says, noting that NIU welcomed its first students to the building 126 years ago. “The tablets they were carrying with them were quite different from the tablets our students carry today. However, while the technologies have changed dramatically, NIU’s commitment to empowering students, pursuing knowledge and engaging our communities has remained constant. And, as it turns out, esports is a powerful way to do all of these things.”
Dr. Freeman’s support for esports extends beyond gaming.
With esports now a multi-billion-dollar industry, the popularity of which some believe will soon overshadow baseball, football and other traditional sports, NIU has become one of the few universities in the nation specifically preparing students for careers in the esports industry. The minor in esports industry professions (open to all undergraduate students) draws coursework from four colleges on campus and specifically complements majors such as communication studies, computer science, psychology, physical education, sport management, kinesiology and all of the business disciplines.
Interest in the minor has been high, East says, as has interest in the NIU Esports Club’s second annual Esports Career Lecture series. More than 200 students have signed up for the lecture series (spread across several dates) to hear top industry professionals discuss their careers and what lies ahead for esports.
The NIU Esports Arena is open seven days a week from noon until 10 p.m. Anyone with a One Card can play on any of the console games or any of the 30 open-play PCs. Spectators are also invited to watch shoutcasts of the NIU Varsity Esports Team (and others) in the arena.
For more information about participating in or studying esports at NIU, visit the NIU Esports website.
