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 Alaska Esports Center, which opened in March.
The 窪蹋勛圖厙 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 UAFs first official season of competition has helped build momentum for both casual and serious gamers at UAF, said esports coordinator Mike Juell.
UAFs Alaska 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.
Weve kind of established gaming as a communal thing that everyone can be part of, Juell said. You dont need to be a dominant player to be part of it.
The fledgling area of intercollegiate esports competition doesnt have tiers of competition or NCAA regulation, which makes the landscape kind of the Wild West right now, 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 dont have coaches, instead relying on student gamer guides 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 Alaska 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.
In 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, Juell said. UAF has invested in this, and theres an opportunity for everyone to get involved.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Mike Juell, mdjuell@alaska.edu
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