eSports Buyer's Guide

eSports Guide for Educational Institutions

Regardless of facility — university, high school, middle school — esports competitive gaming is an area you should be exploring. While at first glance esports may appear to be an activity relegated to dorm rooms or small off-campus events, in actuality it is an opportunity to attract new students and provide a critical differentiation point for school recruiters, and an excellent way to increase school morale and fan engagement.

Creating a dedicated esports department seems overwhelming. Can we start smaller and grow?

Absolutely. In fact, it's probably the best way to start an esports program. Many facilities start by simply adding additional computer workstations to an existing room, such as the library or the computer building. Note: verbal communication is key to the sport so you'll want to pick an area that won't be disruptive to other individuals.

Does esports provide any additional advantages to the school besides gaming?

100%. When not used by the esports teams, the computer setups can be utilized by graphic design students and for video production. It is important to note that the computer setups do require additional power and specialized monitors; while you can certainly start your program with mid-tier equipment, professional setups will be needed to succeed in any type of competitive events.

How many schools actually participate or have an esports program?

Since 2016, the number of institutions that have launched varsity programming has grown to its current count of over 170 institutions, 5,000+ student athletes, and $16 million in esports scholarships and aid. As of June 2019, over 94% of all varsity esports programs in the U.S. are members of NACE with an ever increasing number of schools exploring esports.

What are anticipated esports startup costs?

According to NACEsports, initial startup costs are as follows:

• Technology cost: $60k - 90k+
• Team Apparel cost: $3k-4k
• Avg. Year One Recruitment: 20-25 students
• Staff members needed: 1-3 depending on program size

View video discussion with Harman & AVI-SPL regarding eSports

Benefits of implementing an esports program

While there will certainly be some inital outlay of funds required, esports brings with it many ways to recover those expenditures, including:

• Opportunities to increase net tuition revenue
• Key differentiator in highly competitive recruitment
• Attracts student-athletes in a diverse range of majors, such as business, computer science, STEM, graphic design, etc.
• Increases student excitement and creates a new type of fanbase
• Brand recognition for the educational institute during live-streamed competitions and competitive events.

source: ViewSonic

What does a basic esports setup look like?

At a minimum, you'll need a air-conditioned dedicated space that can support 4-6 computer workstations, high speed monitors with 240hz (ideal) or 120hz (minimum) refresh rates, and gaming peripherals; keyboards, mice, headsets, backup power and seating. Don't buy the biggest monitors, either. For competitive first person gaming, many esports athletes prefer a 22"-24" monitor as they can more easily take in the entire field of view. Remember that these workstations can serve multiple functions when not in use by the esports team.

One of the most critical factors in esports is reducing lag times. 30-50ms lag times might be acceptable for casual gaming situations, but in order to succeed in competitive gaming, you want to shoot for sub 5ms lag times. Being able to react quickly without worrying about delays due to your equipment or network is key to team success.

Other things to consider when designing your esports program

Provide your esports team members the ability to setup optional configurations for their monitors and workstations and try and provide the highest resolution displays. Plan for streaming and group events from the beginning by working with your IT department / network teams to ensure you have enough bandwidth and ways to share competitions both in-house and online.

Let's summarize

• Your initial esports setup can start small and grow
• Esports labs can serve multiple purposes beyond gaming
• Consider your network and plan for streaming and community events with projection or multiple displays
• Provide your esports athletes with quality gear and options for customization
• Contact AVI-SPL for questions or assistance in setup