Recruitment begins to fill first Esports varsity teams

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—The Mastodon Esports program at Purdue University Fort Wayne is upping its game and recruiting players. With its recent addition to the National Association of Collegiate Esports, or NACE, the program now joins more than 170 member schools nationwide that feature varsity esports teams.

Esports, the common name for competitive video gaming, received a major boost at Purdue Fort Wayne in March with the completion of a state-of-the-art esports lab that was nearing its grand opening when the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a change of plans. Six months later, the space located in Walb Union, Room 221, is prepared by month’s end to add NACE-level competition to the recreational and club sport gaming that’s already taking place.

An aggressive recruiting effort is underway to fill roster positions on the new program’s first three seven-member teams competing in League of Legends, Overwatch, and Valorant.

To meet the growing popularity of esports on its campus, and to capitalize on its rapid growth worldwide, Purdue Fort Wayne set out in mid-2019 to build a lab to accommodate players of various skill levels.

The Mastodon Esports lab, which was adapted over the summer to meet current social distancing and cleaning guidelines, consists of 21 stations featuring Alienware gaming computers that benefit from a high-speed internet connection dedicated exclusively to the new lab.

Hardware specifications for each computer include:

• Processor: Intel i9-9900
• Graphics Card: Nvidia RTX 2080 Ti
• Storage: 2 TB Solid-state drive
• RAM: 16 GB DDR4

In addition, each station also has Dell G-Sync monitors that can be wirelessly streamed to two 75-inch 4K TVs in the lab, Corsair gaming peripherals, and custom MAXNOMIC gaming chairs.

Team members who worked on the development of the Mastodon Esports lab at Purdue Fort Wayne believe the evolution of esports from solo play at home to team competition in spaces like this adds a significant social element that enhances its appeal.

“With the popularity of esports exploding, especially for members of Generation Z, many prospective students are looking for universities with esports programs,” said Mitch Davidson, associate vice chancellor and chief information officer, Purdue Fort Wayne. “A number of high schools already have teams or clubs in place. Creating an esports lab and varsity program on campus is attractive to existing and prospective students.”

Overseeing the Mastodon Esports program as its first head coach is Katie Harry, a recent graduate of Purdue Fort Wayne who served as its League of Legends club president for the previous two years. Harry will also lead the League of Legends and Valorant teams during their inaugural seasons at the varsity level.

Mason Stankovich, an employee of Information Technology Services at Purdue Fort Wayne, has been tapped to lead the Overwatch team this year due in large part to his experience with coaching and tutoring others.

Current and prospective Purdue Fort Wayne students have until Tuesday to apply for a coveted spot on one of the three teams.

For everyone else, the lab is open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. A Purdue Fort Wayne or Indiana University Fort Wayne photo ID is required to utilize lab hardware. Group reservations are also available most weeknights. Anyone entering a Purdue Fort Wayne building is required to wear a face mask and adhere to all current safety protocols as spelled out on the PFW Prepared website.

Visit the Mastodon Esports lab web page to view the initial list of 20 installed games and learn more about the space.

For additional information about the Mastodon Esports program and Mastodon Esports lab, contact Brian Spaulding, supervisor for end-user support and esports, Information Technology Services, at [email protected] and 260-481-6199, or Mitch Davidson at [email protected] and 260-481-6196.

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