eSports Arenas: A Space for Everyone
The Rise of Innovative and Inclusive Collegiate Gaming Venues | February 7, 2025
eSports has seen a rapid spike in popularity in the higher education world despite being criticized and misunderstood by many outside the sport.
With this, many universities have begun pushing for eSports clubs, teams, and arenas on campus. These venues often have various titles like esports labs, lounges, and facilities.
As these facilities become more common, we’re seeing them turn into a space surrounded by inclusivity and comradery among students. So, what makes these arenas so special?
Most college eSports facilities have a common look and feel to them. They tend to be outfitted with colored lights and school logos and have a futuristic feel. Many arenas include a broadcasting space, immersive technology like displays surrounding the area, and of course the proper network technology to ensure smooth gameplay.
Ferris State University’s Esports Arena is a great example of implementing high quality, immersive eSports gameplay and broadcasting technology.
It’s important to get these factors right when designing this type of space as it is something that prospective students look for when looking at universities with an eSports arena. Nailing these factors is the first step to creating a strong eSports program.
We know what these arenas typically look like, but what makes these spaces so special outside of the physical factors to the arena?
One reason for this is the diversity that universities see in students that play or come to watch eSports matches or practices.
Video games are played by people of all backgrounds, giving students the ability to meet and socialize with people they otherwise would never talk to during their time at school.
Many of these spaces are a place for students to unwind after or between classes, and for those who are on the team or club it is more than just a social space.
In fact, many universities offer scholarships to students for their eSports teams, benefiting students who want to play at a university at a competitive level.
With arenas being open to team players, casual players, and spectators the popularity of these spaces on campus grows because of how inclusive and social the setting becomes.
eSports arenas help students that have little to no interest in
campus activities become more involved and immersed in their university.
Many students who are highly invested in eSports are more introverted and shy, so providing them a space where they can enjoy what they love around others with the same interests gets them interested in a healthy extracurricular activity.
This part ties into the diversity of eSports participants as these introverted students are exposed to people different from themselves that share a common interest, giving students the opportunity to make friends and meet new people in the designated space.
As eSports continue to rise in popularity, arenas, venues, lounges, and labs will become more common and sought after by prospective students looking for a university to attend. These spaces create a unique and thriving environment on campus and are something to keep an eye on whether you like video games or not.
To learn more about how BrightTree Studios designed the specialized eSports technology at Ferris State University visit our blog “eSports in ‘Control’ of Higher Education.”
