Chippewa Valley Times

The University of Wisconsin-Stout has opened a new $1 million Esports Arena, reflecting the growing significance of competitive gaming in higher education. The arena, located on the first floor of the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center, was funded by a donation from the UW-Stout Foundation & Alumni Association and other donors. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2.

Chancellor Katherine Frank commented on the facility’s impact: “Our esports teams have already experienced significant success and growth, and I know that this amazing facility will continue to support our student athletes and the education of other students from a range of academic programs.”

The 1,900-square-foot arena features 34 high-end gaming PCs—10 positioned on a competition stage—along with seating for spectators and teammates, large monitors for viewing matches, modern design elements, and a streaming booth for online broadcasts at twitch.tv/StoutEsports.

UW-Stout’s esports program is part of the Wisconsin Esports Conference alongside 21 other institutions across public universities, private colleges, and technical schools in Wisconsin. Nearly 40 students participate in five varsity teams competing in games such as Overwatch, Valorant, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros., and Marvel Rivals. There is also an Academy team functioning as junior varsity.

Head Coach Aaron Froelich said the new space improves team unity: “Something that’s really special about this new place is that it allows us to have more team camaraderie within our different game titles,” Froelich said. “I like to compare it either to an athletic department or a track and field team, where you’ve got all these subdivisions within it. Previously we didn’t have a lot of cross-pollination between those rosters.”

Since becoming Wisconsin’s first public university with a varsity esports program in 2020, UW-Stout has seen notable achievements. Last spring its Marvel Rivals team won the Wisconsin Esports Conference Championship and placed fifth nationally; the program also claimed victory at the Wisconsin Valorant Summit LAN championship in 2024. This fall marks the launch of an Esports Club with over 100 members.

Academically, UW-Stout offers several related programs including a B.F.A. in game design and development-art; a B.S. in computer science with game design concentration; minors in esports coaching; as well as certificates in esports management and production.

Assistant Professor Michael Bird noted benefits for academic offerings: “The new Esports Arena allows our esports coaching students the ability to interact and coach with the teams, therefore aligning with UW-Stout’s polytechnic mission,” Bird said. He added that recruitment efforts would be enhanced by showcasing both athlete experiences and opportunities for those interested in event production or sports management.

A new B.S. game and media studies program begins this fall to prepare students for careers involving interactive multimedia experiences across disciplines. Associate Professor Cody Reimer described its role: “Our program acts as the third leg of a tripod alongside game design and development programs in art and computer science,” Reimer said. “Whereas the B.F.A in art trains artists and animators, and the emphasis in game design in the B.S. in computer science trains programmers, our program focuses on all the other knowledge necessary to study, create and understand games and other media.” He called the arena a “natural extension” supporting UW-Stout’s culture of gaming aligned with its polytechnic mission.

Reimer further stated: “The gaming industry, including esports, is not a fledgling subculture anymore,” he said. “The creation of this arena represents institutional recognition and investment that puts Stout and our esports teams at the top of the leaderboards. It means opportunities for not just student athletes and coaches but also for academic programs.”

Industry research indicates global interest continues to rise; recent reports estimate that worldwide audiences will reach approximately 640 million people this year while revenues are expected around $4.8 billion.

Team members believe their upgraded facility will help attract recruits by offering more space for practice sessions together rather than separately—a challenge they faced previously due to limited equipment availability.

Trey Johnson from Barron commented: “I think it’s going to help a lot with recruiting side... We’re going to have more people here in person... It’s going to be a lot more inviting to have people come in and practice.”

The arena will host events such as an Oct. 18 Rocket League tournament—the Red Cedar Rumble—with participants including Michigan State University and University of Minnesota; it will also serve as venue for December's WEC State Championship featuring up to 20 teams.

Froelich aims high regarding future events: “One of my goals is to become one of premier hosting sites in Wisconsin but also Midwest,” he explained.

Cody Larkin from Hanover echoed positive feedback regarding campus tours through new facilities: "We actually get to walk through arena... so many people are interested... They get see it say ‘Oh my gosh this cool.’”

Froelich addressed misconceptions about competitive gamers: "We’re out here... we’re competing representing university," he said." Our players practice as team for 15–20 hours week put ton time own hone craft."

“They take it extremely seriously,” he concluded.“They’re highly competitive.”