Herkimer College unveils new Esports Center

Herkimer College unveiled a state-of-the-art Esports Center, ushering in a new era for the program.

In lieu of supply chain issues the arena took four years to finalize. College and community leaders – as well as faculty and staff – gathered to celebrate the grand opening.

Located in the college’s Technology Center, the hub features 13 new gaming computers, along with Nintendo Switch and SONY PlayStation 5 gaming consoles. The Center is engineered with ADA-compliant Spectrum Esports Evolution desks and digital displays, along with other gamer-ready technology.

“This is only the start,” said Officer-in-Charge and Sr. Vice President of Administration and Finance, Nicholas F. Laino. “We have plans for phase two of this project, expanding to accommodate many more gaming stations and a gallery for fans to watch the competitions.”

In 2020, the college solidified its commitment to the esports movement and launched the Generals esports athletic program. As a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE), Herkimer College stands at the forefront of over 600 teams and 1,500 student-athletes participating nationwide.

Over the past five seasons, the Generals have clinched a national championship in Call of Duty Gunfight and secured three top-four finishes.

“We are the first – and only – community college in the state that is connected to 10 GB high-speed internet,” said College Board of Trustees Chair Michael Stalteri, Sr. "This gives the Generals an advantage over their competition.”

The facility rounds out a year of excitement on campus surrounding the gaming industry. Earlier this month Herkimer College hosted Extra Life National Game Day, a 24-hour charity gaming marathon. This fall the College also launched a new business degree program, Esports Management A.A.S.

“I can confidently say this room is worthy of our student-athlete’s talents,” said Head Coach of the Generals – and Academic Support Center Specialist – Joshua Lanza.

The rise of esports

Esports (electronic sports) are a type of competition utilizing video games. Tournaments — for groups of varying sizes and skill levels — are held at varying times throughout the year.

Esports includes a plethora of games, including first-person shooters and sports games. The sport has grown rapidly over the last decade, with esports even being brought up as a potential Olympic sport.

The first-ever collegiate esports arena in the SUNY system opened in 2018 at SUNY Canton, officials have said. Herkimer College was the second college in the area to announce an esports team.

Over 100 colleges have varsity esports programs, and more are joining each year, with many smaller schools using teams as recruiting tools.

That expansion could open doors for students of all genders, especially since video games don't have the same physical barriers as most traditional sports.

“Our journey began with a vision to blend cutting edge technology with education,” said Laino. “Here at Herkimer College we believe in inclusivity which is why all our new computers and desks are ADA- compliant.”

Gaming and equipment

The new arena is equipped with 13 Alienware Aurora R15s, sporting Intel i9 processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPUs. Each station is coupled with 32GB of RAM and Alienware 25-144Hz Monitors.

While Herkimer College provides Alienware mice, keyboards and headsets Lanza noted that many of his players choose to bring their own peripherals.

The lab also has two Nintendo Switches and two Playstation 5s – for console gamers.

“We are equipped with copies of any game that the NJCAAE has recognized as an esport title,” explained Lanza. “That includes: Call of Duty (Won National Championship), Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8, Street Fighter 6, League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Valorant, FIFA, Madden, and NBA 2K.”

Esports Management program

Esports, involving professional or semi-professional competitive gaming, is a billion-dollar industry and has seen tremendous growth in recent years, both in terms of viewership and revenue.

Recognizing the potential for job growth, Herkimer College launched its Esports Management degree program to position graduates for careers in events management, broadcasting, facilities, game day management and operations, public relations, marketing, and sales.

“When we develop a new program we keep three key things in mind: program curriculum, skills, and jobs,” said Assistant Professor of Business Steven Boucher. “This degree develops communications, critical thinking, and decision making skills.”

In addition to core curriculum students will also take: accounting, management, graphic design, business law, event planning, and marketing.

“It can't be lost that my student athletes are always students first and athletes second – like the name says,” explained Lanza. “I am constantly keeping an eye on their grades and making sure they get any academic support necessary in order to be successful both inside and outside of the Esports Center.”

Lanza designed the curriculum entirely from scratch, leaning on the knowledge gained from over 30 years of competitive gaming himself.

“There are massive amounts of job opportunities in this burgeoning field,” explained Lanza. “There are jobs not just on the technological side but also in the humanities – in game storytelling and musical composition too.”

Leadership

Coach Lanza has been playing video games since he was “old enough to hold a controller." His first game was Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo.

While video games can be a tool for relaxation and fun they can also be a gateway to a career path, Lanza said.

Coaching esports is not that different from coaching more traditional sports.

Like in other sports the players perform under a microscope, and their play is scrutinized by other players and coaches.

“In order to be a successful esports athlete, one must possess the same kind of skills that a traditional sports athlete would be expected to have,” explained Lanza. “They have to be able to analyze – much like traditional sports teams – so, we review play footage before game day.”

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Herkimer College's esports team has a new home. What to know