NIU’s new Esports arena shows rise in gaming popularity

DeKALB – James Westlund always has loved video gaming, and as a student at Northern Illinois University, he can combine academics and gaming with esports.

Westlund, a junior at NIU, is on the school’s varsity team for the esport game Overwatch.

A grand opening was held March 2 for NIU’s new esport arena in Altgeld Hall.

“I’m involved in esports because I love to compete and for the friendships I’ve made,” Westlund said. “I’ve made friends online and at NIU. The new arena shows that esports is important and what I do matters. It’s not just a hobby. It’s a place I can go to where people enjoy the same things as me. It feels like coming home.”

NIU’s esport area has 30 open-play computers, 12 varsity-specific computers, a coaching station, eight console gaming stations, two overhead projectors and large screens, a broadcast room, a conference room for coursework and a conference room for coaches, a virtual reality room and offices for coaches.

Conner Vagle, director of esports at NIU, described the esport arena as a dedicated space for all things esports and gaming. NIU has four esports teams with about 30 students as starters and substitutes, as well as an average of 100 students in a student-run esports club.

“The new esports arena allows students and the community to play and compete together in the same space,” Vagle said. “You can compete and play anywhere, but to be able to have the space on campus to play together makes a huge difference. It provides a dedicated place for esports that’s welcoming and open to all.”

Vagle defined esports as “competitive video gaming,” which can be played on computers, video gaming consoles or mobile phones. Gameplay is often live streamed, and gamers communicate with one another, on social media platforms such as Twitch and Discord.

“It’s competitive the way that sports are, and any video game that is competitive can be considered esports,” Vagle said. “Esports has grown rapidly. It’s expanded exponentially through the years.”

Matthew Hixon is the head esports coach at Kishwaukee College. He offers a free esports program for teens from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays at the DeKalb Public Library and will host a remote esports summer camp.

Hixon attributes the COVID-19 pandemic to a boost in interest in esports.

“The pandemic helped esports take off dramatically,” Hixon said. “There were no sports being played, no basketball or baseball or football. Esports are [COVID-19]-proof. It can be entirely remote and played at home.”

According to Insider Intelligence, which does research in marketing, strategy and product development, there will be 29.6 million monthly esports viewers in 2022, up 11.5% from 2021. The live streaming audience is expected to reach 920.3 million in 2024.

Large sums of money can be made by playing and winning esports competitions. According to Esports Earnings, there were 4,335 esports tournaments in 2021 with 22,375 active players winning $206 million in prize money.

Hixon competed professionally in esports for 10 years and earned more than $10,000 in prize pool money.

“You can compete professionally in esports as a career as a player, but there are so many other opportunities for jobs in the industry: game programming and coding, audio, art and illustration, quality control, HR, legal teams, marketing, social media and broadcasting,” Hixon said. “The opportunities are endless, and it’s not only about being a player. There are constantly more and more opportunities in gaming and esports every day.”

Esports is expected to make more than $1 billion in revenue for the first time this year. The revenue includes money made from sponsorships, advertising and the sale of merchandise. Popular brands with esports partnerships include Redbull, Mountain Dew and its parent company PepsiCo, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Intel.

There are also college scholarships available for esports gamers who compete individually or on teams. Many colleges and universities have competitive teams and clubs, and they offer academic courses and degrees. NIU offers a minor in Esports Industry Professions through the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education in the College of Education.

Rena Cotsones, chief engagement officer for NIU, said it was exciting to see so many students attend the grand opening of NIU’s esports arena.

“More and more students are looking for esports, not only recreationally, but also as a way to compete,” she said. “Eatheletes also has a connection to academics here at NIU. It’s an opportunity to prepare students for careers in esports.”

Cotsones said gamers always have been at NIU.

“A decade or two ago, gamers were in their rooms with their gaming systems and computers, and it took some work to be able to connect and find one another on campus,” she said. “Then there was a club founded, then a space with a few computers, and it’s grown from there. Now NIU is embracing esports. … It’s not just about playing games. There are three pillars: building community, healthy gaming practices and supporting new technologies for research and learning.”

NIU sophomore Elisabeth Pierce, president of Gaming for All and an employee at the arena, said esports is for everyone, regardless of their skill at gaming.

“The stereotype is that gaming is just for guys, but it’s not,” she said. “There are so many games out there on so many different consoles and systems. You can be a casual player or professional. It’s all about having fun and making friends.”

Hixon said that having support from family and the community, as well as understanding, will help esports grow in even more popularity among the youth.

“You may not be a gamer, and you may not understand gaming, but it’s important to show your support,” Hixon said. “Within the next five years, esports will become a household name. There’s no better cheerleader for a child that’s interested in esports than having parents who watch them play and support them.”