• Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Login
Campus Rec Magazine
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Campus Rec Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home Profiles Building Blocks

The Esports Center at Radford University

Brittany Howard by Brittany Howard
January 10, 2023
in Building Blocks, Esports, In Print, Profiles
0
Esports Center at Radford University

Image courtesy of Radford University

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

The Esports Club at Radford University has been the largest club on campus since 2018, boasting over 200 members annually. Because of this, the university began discussing how to capitalize on the growing popularity of esports and create a designated space for gaming and learning. 

D.J. Preston, the director of Recreation and Wellness at Radford, shared the Esports Club had to outfit rooms that were not made for gaming and use personal equipment and technology to accommodate the club’s needs. “It became clear the student body needed a space designed for this new type of engagement,” said Preston. “We proposed the Esports Center and were supported by the university to bring the idea to life.” 

To move the creation of the Esports Center forward, the university focused on underutilized space for the location. Preston noted the area had to be large enough to accommodate at least 20 PCs and a lounge space. “Through several rounds of feasibility and discussion, an 1,800-square-foot academic location near food, parking and pedestrian traffic was selected,” he shared. 

When it came to designing the space, Doug Benedict, the assistant director of Esports, said they looked at all the needs associated with an esports program. “High-powered PCs, console gaming space, gameplay viewing and reviewing — we fit a lot into one space,” said Benedict. “We ended up with 40 PCs to accommodate the high population of gamers, a central projector and several wall-mounted TVs so everyone can watch our teams play, a 4K Ultra HD console gaming TV, and a 78-inch touchscreen TV for interactive game replay review.” 

EXTRA CREDIT: Find more of our esports content here.

For departments considering a dedicated esports facility on campus, Benedict said to include students in the planning process. “We all have plenty to learn and, in this case, students definitely know best,” he noted. “In addition, make sure you have a powerful HVAC system in the room. Spaces like this heat up fast.” 

Further lessons learned include giving yourself plenty of lead time on setting everything up and keeping the space spotless. “There is always some small thing that will go wrong,” added Benedict. “As always, cleaning is key to longevity — a space like this gets dirty fast. Plus, don’t allow food.” 

Looking ahead, the Radford Esports program partnered with the campus departments of Recreation and Parks & Tourism to create a minor in esports that started in Fall 2022. Classes under the degree include introduction to esports, applied issues in esports services, commercial recreation and more. Since then, the team has been working on the creation of an in-house studio/media production space. It will allow them to produce professional-level esports casting and content. 

 

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Tags: esportsEsports Centeresports programmingJanuary-February 2023Radford University
Previous Post

Creating Major Destinations with Sasaki

Next Post

Q&A on Recovery Trends

Brittany Howard

Brittany Howard

Brittany is an editor at Peake Media. Reach her at brittany@peakemedia.com

Related Posts

Samford University
Cover Story

Counting Every Blessing at Samford University

May 21, 2025
Unified Sports
Ask the Expert

Q&A on Unified Sports and Inclusive Intramurals

May 21, 2025
Outdoor Fitness
Fitness

How Outdoor Fitness Can Transform Campus Recreation

May 21, 2025
Sustainability Practices
Facility Development

Sustainability Practices for Rec Centers

May 21, 2025
Laura Surles
Final Exam

Q&A with Laura Surles of Butler University

May 21, 2025
Radford University
Cover Story

Piecing Together Wellness at Radford University

March 19, 2025
Next Post
Recover Trends

Q&A on Recovery Trends

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Updates in your inbox

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
Campus Rec Logo

The premier business resource for college and university recreation centers.

The Current Issue

May/June 2025

May/June 2025

Browse

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Media Kit
  • Contact

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.