Esports Hub Now Open - Waterloo Campus
Conestoga College is proud to announce the opening of a state-of-the-art esports facility, the first to the Waterloo Region, located at the Dr. John W. Tibbits Campus. The campus specializing in information & communications technology, engulfed in a technology-thriving community, was a natural fit for the student-centric Esports Hub.
The Esports Hub boasts 36 gaming PC’s including a 6-player competitive desk, access to gaming consoles, and a control room for live streaming productions, opening in full-capacity on November 7, 2022. Conestoga Associate Vice-President of Student Affairs Trish Weigel Green describes the opening of the Esports Hub as an incredible opportunity for student engagement and academic excellence, and just the beginning of Esports at Conestoga College.
“The esports ecosystem allows Conestoga to provide our students with a number of things we excel at, amazing spaces, state of the art technology, high quality programming, and exceptional student experiences. Investing in opportunities for our students to learn and play while preparing them for future careers was an easy choice to make. Our new esports hub is evidence of our continued investment in providing leading edge experience to our community.”
Esports is a rapidly evolving industry in Canada, as of 2020, 85% of males and 60% of females aged 13-29 participated in the industry. Conestoga has worked with Waterloo Region Tourism as they look to engage these 23M gamers and establish Region of Waterloo as a renowned esports destination.
Conestoga Esports is home to varsity esports teams, ranging from sports-based to battle arena genres, competing in various North American esports leagues. Conestoga aims to differentiate their competitive program by providing esports athletes with the full varsity student-athlete experience. Varsity esports athletes have access to coaching, prioritized facility practice and competition times, team apparel, and scholarships. Conestoga Students Inc. provides $10,000 annually towards esports scholarships.
The Esports Hub hosts weekly programming, events, and open lab time for full time Conestoga students free of charge. Conestoga looks forward to engaging community members with access to the Esports Hub for open lab use, programs, and esports events soon. The space will also support Esports Marketing & Event Management students, a newly designed program starting in fall of 2023 in Conestoga School of Business. School of Business Chair, Aaron Blair, describes how the facility provides students with hands-on experience during their time of study.
“Having a dedicated Esports facility creates a unique ecosystem for Conestoga Esports Marketing and Event Management Graduate Certificate students. The Esports Hub provides students with an immersive learning experience. Graduates from the program will be able to hone their knowledge and skills to have an immediate impact upon graduation.”
Questions regarding Esports at Conestoga can be directed to Zack Dodge, Esports Operations Supervisor, zdodge@conestogac.on.ca.