Local universities are beginning to put a major emphasis on in-person esports on campus. So much so that they are building game lounges + and hiring professionals from the esports industry to oversee these new programs.
Transylvania University
Nicolas Tomas is a gaming veteran who has worked in the esports industry for ~10 years + he is now the official head coach of esport gaming at Transylvania University.
With Transylvania’s esports program officially launching in the fall of 2021, Nicolas is spearheading a program that hopes to help students, the university + the community tap into a $1 billion dollar industry.
Nicolas is in the process of recruiting a varsity team for Transylvania + hopes to lead them to success in global gaming tournaments. He is also helping the university host its first official on-campus tournament in January of 2022.
This first tournament is for North American high school students — hoping to bring awareness to the program and scout for prospective students for the team. The community is invited to come spectate + view Transylvania’s new gaming arena during the tournament.
University of Kentucky
UK has also made a significant investment in esports on campus — opening its own esports lounge at The Cornerstone , 401 S. Limestone St. in the fall of 2020.
Its lounge is designed to be a communal gathering space for individuals to hone their skills + collaborate competitively. The university is also using the program to invest in the community — hosting charity-driven live streams
and partnering with industry leaders to secure scholarship funds for UK students
.