
University of Arizona Jump-Starts New Esports Program With High-Profile, On-Campus Gaming Center 1337 Facilities was at the center of the project By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor
Wednesday, September 1, 2021 - 7:00 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Traditional stick-and-ball sports may have hit a speed bump during the COVID-19 pandemic, but esports leagues and teams hit the accelerator on productions. At the professional level, such organizations as the NBA 2K League or Activision Blizzard haven't skipped a beat. At the collegiate level, the University of Arizona is stepping into the esports ring with construction of a gaming center developed by 1337 Facilities.
It has been a great ride, and the opening [in July] was a lot of fun, says 1337 Facilities CEO Robert D. Jordan CVE. Universities are starting to embrace esports arenas, and it's something that students want to see and be involved in.
Cost-Efficient and Flexible: New Home Is Built in Pre-Existing Space
1337 Facilities transformed an old billiards room into the University of Arizona's new gaming center.
When the university expressed interest in starting an official esports team and subsequently established a program in March 2021, the next step on the agenda was to create a space for the competitions. Jordan and his colleagues were called in for the job, and, from the outset, the project focused on two main goals: a cost-efficient price point and a flexible room. Given the longevity of the pandemic and to avoid exhausting the pool of sponsorship money reserved for construction, the physical structure is in a pre-existing room in the on-campus student union.
It was originally a black-box theater, says Jordan. Then it became the billiards room, which we converted into the esports arena. Noting that the move helped trim spending, he calls it the ultimate reuse of square footage.
Since this new space has already hosted many other activities, the latter of the two priorities was a natural. And esports as a genre comprises different types of games and competitions. The University of Arizona alone will field five official teams in Call of Duty, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends, Valorant, and Rocket League.
Besides accommodating the communal nature of esports, the space can host functions that include officially sanctioned competitions, esports-club meetings, and students who want to play casually. AmpThink President Bill Anderson was critical to creation of a space where students can play games together after being separate for over a year.
Vertical towers house the gaming consoles, generate connectivity, and manage levels in the room.
We actually set aside close to 15% or 20% of the square footage for seating where students can hang out, Jordan explains. The university also wanted to have intramural tournaments and the ability to split the room for coaching sessions while still allowing casual play.
Interior Tools: Connectivity Towers, LED Lighting in a Multi-Configurable Space 1337 Facilities was tapped for the project nearly four years ago, but the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 caused a major snafu. Although the university closed its doors to both students and the public last September, staffers were eventually allowed back onsite, and the project gained new life.
Now that the dust has settled, the space is outfitted with some of the highest-quality esports technology. A total of 65 gaming stations can be deployed, and, to keep with the small-footprint theme and avoid installation of unnecessary equipment, the university's network is the basis of the center's 100G connectivity.
One of the more forward-thinking elements has already provided massive benefits. The vertical towers that contain the actual gaming consoles serve as the central hub of this connectivity. They also act as a buffer between the heat generated by the consoles and the players, keeping the playing area as cool as possible.
There are multiple levels, notes Jordan. We can put up to 20 PCs into a tower with its own power distribution and air-flow considerations. Since the room is multi-configurable, everything is able to move through different doors.
The room can adapt to any settings, but, to generate additional buzz for high-stakes tournaments or other events, the room comes with LED lighting fixtures that can remain static or pulsate with different colors.
https://www.sportsvideo.org/new/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Lights.mp4
Positive Impact: Inclusive Environment and Pathway to the Pros Having completed a massive undertaking to overhaul an underperforming space, 1337 Facilities is aiming toward a further expansion, including implementation of broadcast/streaming capabilities in Phase 2 and other elements in Phase 3. As students slowly return to campus, other opportunities are being explored for those interested in a career in esports: potential partnerships with the School of Information's game-design and -development program, the School of Journalism's broadcast-journalism degree program, and the Eller College of Management's sports-management program. The new gaming space can become the epicenter of educational efforts and a pipeline for students looking to further themselves in esports.
The new esports space is designed to host intramural teams, official esports teams, and individual students.
Students are now looking to use esports as a springboard [into other careers], notes Jordan. Whether it's working with VR, AR, artificial intelligence, coding, or pixel-to-pixel mapping, there are untold benefits.
He sees possibilities for long-term success but believes that, in the short term, the new arena is paying dividends by persuading prospective students to check out the campus and dive headfirst into this sector of the business.
Univ
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
08/05/2026
Liberty University on why broadcast technology isn't just a technical invest...
08/05/2026
COW Jobs: UGC, On-Camera Video Content
Brie Clayton May 7, 2026
0 Comments
UGC, On-Camera Video Content
April 17, 2026Documentary Editor - US,......
07/05/2026
Journalists reporting on Sudan are working in one of the most complex and fast-m...
07/05/2026
Multi-year partnership positions Victory+ as a free home for Dallas Cowboys orig...
07/05/2026
From sideline reporting to directing and producing, the talented sophomore is building a well-rounded foundation for a career in live sports production
In the ...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital has received two Future Best of Show awards at NAB Show 2026. The COBALT blueCORE platform was recognized by TV Tech, and the COBALT PACIFIC ULL-...
07/05/2026
ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the televised semifinals and finals of the 202...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI, the global film streaming platform, has selected Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner. Bitmovin's encoding infrastru...
07/05/2026
NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises and the U.S. Soccer Federation have announced...
07/05/2026
Angel City Football Club (ACFC) and Victory have announced a regional broadcast partnership bringing live match coverage to fans across the greater Los Angeles...
07/05/2026
Spiideo has announced the launch of AI Highlights inside Spiideo Play, its automated sports production platform. AI Highlights combines video, event data, audio...
07/05/2026
Leostream Corporation has announced a unified remote access ecosystem for high-p...
07/05/2026
The Atlanta Dream has partnered with Victory to stream all locally broadcast Dream games for free, expanding the team's digital distribution strategy and g...
07/05/2026
Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Marc Engroff as Chief Fin...
07/05/2026
SES and ARD, Germany's largest public broadcasting network, have announced a long-term extension of their satellite distribution partnership through 2039. U...
07/05/2026
UpLight Technologies delivers a flexible video and lighting system for a new televised sportLaunching the Pro Cheer League required more than creating a compell...
07/05/2026
Full Day Productions and GSE Worldwide have announced Spikes Under the Lights, a...
07/05/2026
Seit dem Start im Jahr 2023 hat DJ (Beta) das personalisierte H rerlebnis von 94...
07/05/2026
Da quando stata presentata nel 2023, DJ (beta) ha aiutato a definire un'esperienza d'ascolto pi personalizzata per 94 milioni di utenti Spotify Premi...
07/05/2026
Since launching in 2023, DJ (beta) has helped shape a more personalized listenin...
07/05/2026
Desde o lan amento em 2023, o DJ (beta) j ajudou a deixar a experi ncia de ouvi...
07/05/2026
From our earliest days, Spotify has been built on a simple principle: Great audio should be easy to reach. It's what's driven us to expand from music to...
07/05/2026
Asian and Pacific Islander artists continue to shape the global soundscape, pushing creative boundaries and connecting with fans worldwide. This Asian & Pacific...
07/05/2026
Company announce long-requested choir instrument
In the latest expansion of their Symphonic Elements series, UJAM have introduced an all-new vocal instrumen...
07/05/2026
Modular-inspired sound generation with digital control
Buchla have introduced Ziggy, a new compact synthesizer built around the company's complex oscill...
07/05/2026
Combines analogue voices with digital synthesis and sequencing
Polyend have announced Drums, a new hybrid analogue and digital drum machine that combines sy...
07/05/2026
Control surface now officially supports four DAWs
When Nektar launched the Panorama CS12 control surface, it worked exclusively with Apple's Logic Pro, ...
07/05/2026
In the first quarter 2026, SGL Carbon generated consolidated sales of 184.5 million, which was 49.8 million, or 21.3%, lower than in the prior year (Q1 2025: ...
07/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and Greenerwave achieve precise and fast ESA antenna characteriz...
07/05/2026
Two multi-role L3Harris products - the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle and SK...
07/05/2026
L3Harris will be developing key features of a secure and resilient digital infra...
07/05/2026
Alysa Liu and Shohei Ohtani Help Drive Viewership as 91 of the Top 100 Broadcast...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
Cobalt Digital Wins Two Future Best of Show Awards at 2026 NAB Show
Manufacturer Recognized by TV Tech and TVBEurope for Innovation in signal processing
Cobal...
07/05/2026
Software and hardware platforms, AI power and user-friendliness on show...
07/05/2026
Intinor will demonstrate its latest technical enhancements for the Direkt series at BroadcastAsia 2026. With a continued focus on reliable contribution and remo...
07/05/2026
Bitmovin has announced that MUBI has chosen Bitmovin as its cloud VOD encoding partner, replacing MUBI's legacy on premises encoding setup to improve scalab...
07/05/2026
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2026 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
07/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/05/2026
At BroadcastAsia 2026, Interra Systems will demonstrate its latest innovations in automated quality control (QC), real-time monitoring, and captioning. The comp...
07/05/2026
At this year's Broadcast Asia, PlayBox Neo is set to unveil recent innovations across its PlayBox Neo Suite and integrated range of broadcast media solution...