Lakeland-based Florida Southern College has invested nearly $120,000 to build out its esports arena, a growing trend in higher education.
The university was the first in the region to launch its esports arena and esports team in 2017. On Tuesday, the school announced it invested an additional $120,000 to move its arena to a larger space on campus and increase its resources.
The new "Snake Pit," named due to the school's mascot of a water moccasin, is now in triple the space after being moved. The expenses also come from installing over 30 high-end, custom-built gaming computers with MSI monitors, gaming chairs, lighting and staging for competitions and technology upgrades that will allow live streaming of multiple players.
The "Mocs esports team" will be able to use the space, but its primary purpose is to make the space available for the general student population.
The space will be sponsored by CPS Investment Advisors, a Lakeland-based independent financial advisory firm. Peter Golotko, the company's president and CEO, is an alum of Florida Southern College.
“CPS and its many proud alumni of Florida Southern are excited to support the rapidly expanding career opportunities and on-campus outlets for social engagement that collegiate esports provides,” Golotko said in a statement. “We look forward to following the progress of FSC’s varsity gaming teams on the national stage, and we are eager for the business school’s launch of its new esports-centered academic programs.”
The expansion follows the school's Barney Barnett School of Business and Free Enterprise offering a master's in business education concentration and undergraduate minor, both related to competitive gaming.
"So, this new gaming area is a perfect addition to the educational and job opportunities for our scholars," Anne Kerr, president of Florida Southern College, said in a statement.
Florida Southern is joined by Saint Leo University in offering an esports arena for students, which has become a rising trend across the nation in recent years. According to Goldman Sachs, esports will become the most-watched sport in the world save for the NFL by 2024.
"It's an investment in a student activity, that students will eventually demand," Saint Leo University President Jeffrey Senese said in a previous interview with the Tampa Bay Business Journal. The school has a 35-person esports team and coach. "These are the students that would play in their rooms, but now are with each other. So, it's a way to keep them interested and invested in Saint Leo."
