BUFFALO, NY – Canisius University unveiled a new Esports lab this fall to house its newest club sport. Esports are a competitive form of computer gaming making inroads in the college sports arena. The game room, outfitted with 12 top of the line PCs and new Xbox, Nintendo Switch and PS4 gaming consoles, is located in the basement of Palisano Pavilion. Canisius is one of approximately 1,000 colleges and universities, nationwide, to launch an Esports program since Esports came into existence in 2014.
“As institutions like Canisius work to attract and engage undergraduate students, understanding the growth of Esports among our target demographic is vital,” Canisius Athletic Director Bill Maher ’89 says. “The discussions on campus with interested students have led us to some very interesting conversations, and have been the genesis for the steps we have taken to organize our Golden Griffin Esports teams.”
Currently, 40 students participate on Canisius’ Esports team, which is sanctioned by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). Players vie for titles in such games as League of Legends, FIFA, Fortnite and SuperSmash Bros., and compete against collegiate opponents that include MAAC rivals Quinnipiac University, Siena College, Marist College and Iona.
For more information, contact the College Communications office at (716) 888-2790.
Canisius University is one of 28 Jesuit universities in the nation and the premier private college in Western New York.
