BIG RAPIDS — Ferris State University earned a second-place rating in the “Institution of the Year” category of national awards from the National Collegiate Esports Organization.
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a competitive format using video games in which participants compete individually or as teams.
The Scholars is a university gaming symposium created by the team behind the Esports Awards. Esports Awards is an organization dedicated to showcasing top-class performance and innovation by players, teams, media, hardware providers, games, events and celebrities in the esports world.
Ferris State University is nominated for Institution of the Year, Jono Eaton is one of nine finalists for Program Director of the Year, and Kyle Wilkowski is one of 11 finalists for University Student Leader of the Year. was selected. Professor Adam Anter is one of nine nominees for the Global Impact Award for University Gaming.
“We are very pleased that Ferris has been recognized as one of the top esports institutions around the world,” said Eaton. “Kyle and I have spent years growing and refining Ferris Esports, and we are extremely grateful that the industry has recognized what we have built. I have one more rung to climb and I know that with my efforts this year I will be number 1 in 2024. That said, I am very proud of this achievement and without all the hard work and effort That couldn’t have been possible. The dedication of our students. I’m glad we can continue to move Ferris forward.”
Ferris State University unveiled a purpose-built esports arena in August, the first purpose-built esports arena built in Michigan, to attract new students interested in careers related to competitive gaming and growing fields . The arena is the centerpiece of a new $32 million virtual learning center.
Ferris’ Esports program was organized in 2017, and Eaton said it has steadily grown to reach 500 club members. With the support of Wilkowksi and a dedicated group of students, Ferris has propelled itself to the forefront of collegiate esports.
Consistent with the program’s growth goals, the state-of-the-art arena will provide the production team with enhanced opportunities to collect and present replays during competition and provide space for spectators to accommodate the 18 participating teams.
More than 240 universities field esports teams with more than 5,000 student-athletes, according to the National Collegiate Esports Association, a Kansas City-based nonprofit.
The university launched a Bachelor of Science in Professional Esports Production curriculum in fall 2022. Eaton said Adam Antoll, a leading leader and advocate for esports on the regional and national stage, will join program chair Varun Singireddy.
The virtual learning center also includes information security and intelligence programs, as well as digital animation and game design curricula. It also hosts the School of Education’s Digital Media Software Engineering instruction and office and is home to Esports gaming and facilities.
For more information about FSU’s esports program, visit ferris.edu/business/esports-production.
