ESPORTS@ILLINOIS
Established in 2016, Illini Esports is the official registered student organization for competitive video gaming at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. IE, currently the largest Tespa student chapter in North America, is composed of 48 volunteer student and alumni officers, and has over 2500 members on Discord.
Illini Esports is supported by the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning and uses CITL's Innovation Spaces including the TechHub and Innovation Studio. Located in the Armory building, in the heart of campus, the 1000 sq ft Innovation Studio is the primary space for both community and competitive activities. In addition to the 16 height-adjustable gaming stations, the Studio has a large touch-screen video wall, three large collaborative tables and an attached 360 sq ft VR Lab perfect for casting and viewing.
Beyond their competitive activities, Illini Esports is also involved in community and academic events across campus. Some examples include the following:
- Worlds Viewing Party
- Competitive Practices for 10 teams
- Playful by Design Symposium Panels
- Presentations to Illinois courses, camps, and workshops
- Open Gaming Hours
- LAN Events
- Tech Workshops
IE's mission is to build a strong esports and gaming program that encourages competitive development, community, research, curricular and vocational opportunities at the University of Illinois.
RECENT ADVANCEMENTS
As the University of Illinois moves to build it's academic game design programs, we are excited that this Fall we will see the launch of the first esports course within our department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism. Esports have quickly emerged amongst industry leaders in terms of online viewership, global competition, and sponsorship dollars. RST 199 Esports Foundations will examine the cross-section of trends related to social connections being formed and maintained online, digital consumption, corporate investment and global growth in the gaming audience.
CITL, in partnership with Illini Esports, is shaping the future of esports at Illinois by increasing the number of stakeholders across campus. We are currently in talks with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, Student Affairs, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Gies College of Business, and the Department of Computer Science, among others. We are also seeing a growing investment from faculty interested in teaching aspects of esports and serving in an advisorsory role to grow esports opportunities across campus.
We've just launch esports.illinois.edu to serve as the portal to all esports related activities across campus. This site will be used to highlight what is happening in Illinois Esports competitively, and encourage advancements in curricular, research and vocational tie-ins. There is also an increased effort to promote the presence of Illini Esports on mainstream social media.
LONG-TERM GOALS
Over the next few years we expect to see tremendous growth of esports across campus. We are currently looking for partners who can support dedicated esports facilities at multiple locations across campus. Our goal is to support competitive teams with state-of-the-art practice spaces, and to encourage students of all backgrounds and experience to get involved with social esports gaming.
We expect to see a game design minor evolve on campus along with an eventual master's program in game theory. Campus leadership has already awarded funds to develop and grow these interdisciplinary programs which will include computer science, art & design, informatics, recreation, sport and tourism and others.
In addition to competitive practice and community spaces to support esports, we anticipate the need for a larger esports arena in town, either on campus, with the investment from corporate partners, or in partnership with the Champaign County Visitors Bureau.
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
We hope that you will be a part of the growth of Illinois Esports over the next 5 years. How can you help?
Help us Build A New Esports Venue
A permanent gaming space allows us to provide the resources for a competitive edge. A well-defined collegiate facility will not only allow our teams to practice, but can also be used as a potential research lab, workshop space, esports classroom, recruitment tool, and event venue.
The Innovation Studio has been identified as the best short-term choice for a dedicated esports venue, but we're already seeing the need for additional spaces across campus. We are currently exploring the feasibility of transitioning an existing classroom to create a dedicated esports lounge with up to 32 gaming stations. We are also talking with Student Affairs about the possibility of locating a new facility inside the Student Union.
Regardless of location, this new lounge will offer esports classes during the daytime and support community and competitive gaming during the evenings and weekends. We are seeking partners interested in an exclusive esports branding opportunity on our campus to help fund and outfit this new space.
Support the Innovation Studio
CITL has made the Innovation Studio available to support Illinois Esports through 2022. The following equipment is needed to transition the Innovation Studio into a dedicated esports venue:
- 16 high-end gaming computers
- 16 twenty-four inch, 144Mhz monitors
- 6 Playstation 5 consoles
- Full set of peripherals for each PC (mechanical keyboard, gaming mouse, gaming headset, and mousepad)
- Gaming chairs for each station
- Broadcasting and video production hardware/software
Sponsor a Competitive Team
Help our athletes excel in academics and gaming . . . .
- Funding and sponsorship for team apparel
- Funding for team travel and competition fees
- Scholarship support for team members
Sponsor an IE Event
There are a variety of ways to support Illinois Esports through partnered sponsorships or financial support including:
- Sponsor a LAN viewing party
- Provide Swag (giveaways, marketing materials, etc.)
- Support an event with food, drink, snacks
RETURN ON Your INVESTMENT
Partnering with Illinois Esports means representation and exposure. We can offer logos on our social media pages, a sponsor spot on Twitch and representation on the Illinois Esports Innovation Studio video wall during events. Expanding our spaces, members and broadcasting capacity, means increased exposure for our partners. We want to work with you to make sure that you are getting a good return on your investment. Examples of opportunities include:
- Provide first right of refusal for Illinois Esports events
- Representation and branding in dedicated esports venue
- Advertising or shout outs during streaming
- Represent your product to the University of Illinois campus
With your help, Illinois Esports will continue to grow to benefit student players, academics, and research. The University of Illinois has always been home to innovation, and we believe that backing a robust esports program will offer a wide range of opportunities in the future.
We hope to touch base with you soon to discuss this proposal further. Please feel free to reach out to us, below, with questions or ideas. Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Jamie Nelson, Assistant Director of Emerging Educational Technologies, Campus Lead Illinois Esports, University of Illinois
Jim Wentworth, Associate Director of Educational Innovation, Director Innovation/Esports Studio, University of Illinois
A.J. Taylor, Illini Esports Student President