By: Autumn Klein
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV) – UARK ESports is the University of Arkansas’s team of competitive gamers.
UARK ESports became a club in 2012, but was recognized by UREC as an official club sport in 2018. Since forming, the sport has gathered over 30 members. ESports is not just growing in Arkansas, though. In 2020, ESports was predicated to surpass the NFL in viewers. It was estimated that ESports will reach 29.8 million viewers nationally within the next few years, in comparison to the current 16.7 million viewers of the NFL.
The UARK ESports team participates in competitions and tournaments across the state with some of their industry partners like NECC and ESL. Some of these competitions go on for weeks, or even the entire semester.
Every week, the club hosts a Super Smash Brothers Tournament in the Student Tech Center in the Union at 6 p.m. The club currently has teams for the following games:
- Overwatch
- Fortnite
- CSGO
- League of Legends
- Rocket League
- Smash
- Valorant
- Apex Legends
UARK ESports vice president Gabriel Thomas said the games don’t have to stop here; they are always welcoming new people and new games. “We are a really welcoming, loving group of people who really want to make sure you’re able to find your place,” and that they will do whatever it takes to make that happen, he said. Thomas said there are so many options available to get involved or to become a team member. Thomas and the other members said that anyone is welcome to join the club, or even just come check it out, anytime.
The team currently rents space in the Student Tech Center for their competitions and streams; however, they said they are looking to have a permanent space in the STC by the beginning of the next school year. UARK ESports and the STC have already started collaborating on different events and ideas in hopes to eventually make this renovation happen. Andrew Brocklesby, Student Tech Center supervisor, said they are “wanting to set something up similar to a cruise ship where there are different activities to do everyday.” He said some ideas they have are to teach people how to play games and to host weekly tournaments.
UARK ESports will have their first stream Thursday evening. You can find it on twitch.tv/uarkesports. The team will also be having a fundraiser this Thursday, March 2nd. The fundraiser is to raise money so that the team can have their own jerseys. The fundraiser will be online and will continue over the course of the next month.
More information about streams, how to get involved, fundraising and more can be found through the team’s Hogsync, or their Discord. The team also has an instagram @uarkesports.