Ferris State University’s Center for Virtual Learning has been a hotbed of esports activity since opening in August, and now welcomes the best teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for championship competition. 

The GLIAC Esports Championship is planned for Feb. 17 and 18 with teams representing Ferris State, Davenport, Grand Valley State, Michigan Tech, Purdue Northwest, Saginaw Valley State and Wayne State bringing their talents to the Esports Arena, the centerpiece of the $32 million Center for Virtual Learning. 

The competition starts at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17. The tournament will be streamed live via Twitch. 

“Ferris State is excited and honored to host the GLIAC Esports Championships in Big Rapids inside a brand-new facility that draws rave reviews in the esports community,” said Amy Dorey, the Hospitality Management program coordinator who was recently on sabbatical in London learning about opportunities in online gaming competition. “We’re excited to help continue to grow esports among GLIAC schools and beyond while introducing more students to what esports can offer from fun to competition to industry careers after graduation. Ferris State has and will continue to play a role in those efforts.” 

The seven universities will participate in the two-day tournament featuring Valorant, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. 

Spectators are welcome to attend the event in Ferris State’s dedicated Esports Arena – the first purpose-built esports arena built in Michigan. In the short time since it opened officially on Aug. 31, 2023, the arena has already started attracting new students interested in the competitive gaming world and the possibility of a career in the emerging field. 

“The GLIAC Esports Championship is a fantastic opportunity for esports fans to see a competition like this, our facility was designed to host and stream events like this,” said Andrew Peterson, the interim director of eLearning. “We’re grateful to have the resources available to us in the Center for Virtual Learning and to put it to work to help create career opportunities that once didn’t seem possible. With a facility like this, and our Bachelor of Science in Professional Esports Production, we can provide our students with a practical hands-on learning experience.” 

Ferris State’s esports program was organized in 2017. By Fall 2022, the university started its Bachelor of Science academic curriculum in Professional Esports Production. 

The CVL is home to some of Ferris State’s most in-demand, high-impact academic programs. Programs housed in the facility include Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Analytics, Digital Animation and Game Design, Information Security and Intelligence, Professional Esports Production, Project Management, Software Engineering, the School of Education, and Television and Digital Media Production. 

Esports, short for electronic sports, is a video game competition with participants squaring off as individuals or teams. More than 240 colleges and universities are fielding esports teams with more than 5,000 student-athletes, according to the National Association of Collegiate Esports, a Kansas City-based nonprofit. 

The inaugural tournament took place in 2023, hosted by Davenport University. The participating teams were Ferris State, Davenport, Grand Valley State, Michigan Tech and Purdue Northwest. 

Click Center for Virtual Learning for more information about the facility.