Florida Southern College Creates Esports Arena to Boost Community Gameplay

Florida Southern College esports arena

Florida Southern College has expanded and upgraded its campus esports facilities, turning a space for community-based computer gaming into a large esports arena. The new space, dubbed the Snake Pit, is designed to accommodate gaming by the general student population, according to a news announcement. It will also be used by the college's esports teams for varsity tournament play.

Features of the arena include 30 gaming stations, additional seating for console gaming, projection technology for competition use, and movable furnishings.

"Esports is a fast-growing industry; in the U.S., esports is predicted to have more viewers than any other sports league excluding the NFL, with an expected 200 percent growth by 2024," commented Anne B. Kerr, president of Florida Southern, in a statement. "We recently announced that the Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise will introduce an undergraduate minor and a Master of Business Education concentration related to competitive gaming. So, this new gaming area is a perfect addition to the educational and job opportunities for our scholars."

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • geometric pattern features abstract icons of a dollar sign, graduation cap, and document

    Maricopa Community Colleges Adopts Platform to Combat Student Application Fraud

    In an effort to secure its admissions and financial processes, Maricopa Community Colleges has partnered with A.M. Simpkins and Associates (AMSA) to implement the company's S.A.F.E (Student Application Fraudulent Examination) across the district's 10 institutions.

  • stylized figures, resumes, a graduation cap, and a laptop interconnected with geometric shapes

    OpenAI to Launch AI-Powered Jobs Platform

    OpenAI announced it will launch an AI-powered hiring platform by mid-2026, directly competing with LinkedIn and Indeed in the professional networking and recruitment space. The company announced the initiative alongside an expanded certification program designed to verify AI skills for job seekers.

  • Abstract AI circuit board pattern

    New Nonprofit to Work Toward Safer, Truthful AI

    Turing Award-winning AI researcher Yoshua Bengio has launched LawZero, a new nonprofit aimed at developing AI systems that prioritize safety and truthfulness over autonomy.

  • hooded figure types on a laptop, with abstract manifesto-like posters taped to the wall behind them

    Hacktivism Is a Growing Threat to Higher Education

    In recent years, colleges and universities have faced an evolving array of cybersecurity challenges. But one threat is showing signs of becoming both more frequent and more politically charged: hacktivism.