Source: Daily Breeze
Cal State Dominguez Hills celebrated the grand opening this week of an esports facility, which university officials said is “a staple strategy to benefit enrollment, retention, recruitment, and career readiness.”
The Toro Esports Academy is on the second floor of the Leo F. Cain University Library. It will serve the entire university community by providing a classroom, an arena and an incubator for students, university officials said in a recent press release.
In recent years, esports has gained traction among various higher institutions, some of which have created facilities and developed curriculum to promote gaming as a collegiate sport. One in five schools had already implemented an esports program and 71% were considering adding one in the future, according to a 2019 study that surveyed 281 leaders across K-12 and higher education iworldwide.
The CSUDH facility houses 38 gaming stations and three broadcast stations, all of which are “equipped with state-of-the-art cameras and equipment to allow for the highest quality broadcast,” the release said. Students will learn about game building, gaming theory and have greater access to STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and math — at the facility.
To celebrate the facility’s opening, Compton Unified School District students in grades six to 12 played exhibition games. Live show matches were held between students from CSUDH, Cal State Long Beach and Cal State Fullerton.
Those who attended the grand opening ceremony on Tuesday, April 24, also got to take a student-guided tour of the facility.
