ILLINOIS TECH ESPORTS
PROPOSAL FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ATHLETICS PROGRAM 2018
ILLINOIS TECH ESPORTS LEADERSHIP President: Elvin Moy League of Legends: Elvin Moy, Tom Case Overwatch: Milton Par Smash: Guy Adelman, Mikey Ruiz Hearthstone: Ethan Fox Rocket League: Christopher Millan Counterstrike: Global Offensive: Greg Bonnema Treasurer: Tanner Zielinski Graphic Design: Jocelyn Wong COLLABORATORS April Welch, Associate VP of Strategic Initiatives, Club Advisor Jennifer Agosto, Coordinator of Compliance and Student Athelete Services
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TABLE OF CONTENTS About Us
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Our Story
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Community
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Competition League of Legends Overwatch Hearthstone
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Other Games
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Proposal
Facility
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Equipment Staffing
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Proposed Timeline
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Appendix
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FOREWORD Many of the starting champions that led Illinois Tech Esports’ initiatives are approaching graduation right around the corner. Before they leave, it is their wish for future pioneers to continue their esports legacy. Thus, please take your time to review this proposal deck and we hope you consider aiding Illinois Tech Esports in whatever way you can.
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March 27, 2018 To whom it may be of interest: On behalf of the members of Illinois Tech Esports, and its collective community, we present our proposal for implementation. Your support will enable this organization to embrace its potential as a premiere esports program that connects communities on and off campus through gaming. Illinois Tech is ready to transition their club sport into a true varsity program. Led by students - their work has already created a community within campus, garnered the attention of other schools out of state and country, and has created a positive impact on campus. Help support esports at Illinois Tech!
Sincerely, The Members and Leaders of Illinois Tech Esports
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“What It’s Like To Be a Varsity Esports Player”, si.com, 2017.
ENGAGED WITH
THE GAME GAME THE
“College Bringing Gamers on Board as Varsity Athletes”, toledoblade.com, 2016.
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IIT students playing Super Smash, Recruitment Week LAN 2018
FOCUSED ON ON FOCUSED
THE PEOPLE PEOPLE THE IIT students watching League of Legends Worlds Championshi 2017 7
Volcanic Anivia, Riot Official.
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WE ARE ILLINOIS TECH.
Originally formed in 2013, Illinois Tech Esports is an established, non-profit collegiate
esports organization that has quickly grown to be seen as a regional leader known for its community focus and high-quality events. Our goal has been to promote the gaming community here at the Illinois Institute of Technology with both competitive and social events.
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MISSION
To engage the community in casual and competitive gaming - we strive to create experiences dedicated to the player and aim to provide value for both gamers and our sponsors. Whether competing in high-level tournaments or a casual LAN party, our goal is to create a space for everyone to connect through gaming.
ABOUT US Here at Illinois Tech Esports, we take gaming seriously. We want the best for gamers, and to connect people around our campus through gaming. Whether it’s hanging out with friends on a Saturday night or competitive tournaments outside the chity of Chicago, we want people to feel welcome and included.
COMMUNITY COMPETITION CREATION 10
WHAT IS ESPORTS? Esports is a form of competition using video games. Gaming companies partner with competitive leagues to create million dollar prize pool tournaments in which young gamers represent teams all across the world. What may have seemed an interesting trend has turned itself into an international movement.
DOING IT FOR THE FANS Although these major events are the pinnacles of achievement for players and fans, much of esports’ potential lies within its social aspect. The mainstream media is only able to catch a glimpse of esports with coverage of major events. Professional teams have taken it upon themselves to create their own video content, helping players learn more about the game and revealing the lifestyle “League of Legends Worlds 2017 Group Stage Preview.” dailycal.org, 2017. of team culture and its players. Because the younger generation has grown up with the internet, the community is one of the strongest proponents towards the rise in esports culture - creating their own talk shows, drawings of favorite characters, and live reaction threads on social media.
MONEY TALKS And it doesn’t stop there - now traditional sport teams like the St. Louis Cardinals, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Golden State Warriors are seizing franchise opportunities to launch their own esport organizations. Athletic icons like Rick Fox and Shaquille O’Neal are leading the charge as owners of their own teams (Echo Fox and NRG respectively). Now, professional esport athletes practice in huge facilities, have their own schedules, and are provided with support staff such as managers, physicians and coaches- reaching the same support level as traditional athletes.1 Major tournaments have large prize pools, but players are also supported via sponsorships and salaries. Video game peripheral companies supply professional teams with mice and headphones when they compete. In 2017, ASUS (a computer hardware company) partnered with a tournament hosted in New York by providing cutting-edge monitors for the players. An anonymous Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) survey conducted found that the average base salary a player in North America for a popular game was $105,385. Not all teams give players salaries, but gaming companies are beginning to put more pressure for teams to provide proper compensation for their competition in professional leagues.2 1. https://www.teamliquidpro.com/tlhqla/ 2. https://www.riftherald.com/competitive/2017/1/13/14271200/lol-pro-salary-money-how-much
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE COLLEGIATE SCENE? >> 11
TAKEN BY STORM Esports is now gaining popularity in the collegiate scene. Universities are beginning to invest into esport programs; by creating scholarship opportunities, players are brought in to play popular titles, such as League of Legends and Hearthstone, while earning an education. Often, these college students practice as much as the professionals; some “America’s Biggest League Of Legends Team...” kotaku.com, 2015. have transitioned to a professional esports team during or right after their academic career. Furthermore, hardware companies and other sponsors support the esport initiative by donating setups to use in school arenas, as well as gaming gear to use as prizes for events.1 Many companies are now realizing the potential capital in the esports industry and are providing such supplies to reach their audiences.
THE COLLEGIATE LEAGUES While some students optimize their college experience by transitioning into professional play, a majority of students are content to compete within the collegiate realm and create their own rivalries. Gaming companies have hosted collegiate-level tournaments where players have the opportunity to represent their school and play as a team (some “College League of Legends.” Riot Games Official. tournaments even offer a chance to win scholarship money). These tournaments’ production value is on par with professional level play, and is accessible to a global audience through livestream and social media. Now, more colleges are beginning to create official programs that involve dedicated practice space and equipment for their players, in addition to recruiting a staffing team to help coach, analyze, manage, and create content for the school. Many of these programs have quickly gained traction largely due to the interest of students and active student leaders pushing the concept to their administration. 1. https://esports.uci.edu/arena/
OPPORTUNITY Winners of Fall LAN 2017
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OF A
“UC Irvine students hope to tackle one school at a time through gaming.” hornet.fullcoll.edu, 2017.
CONNECTING THE CAMPUS On college campuses, traditional sports provide mainstream entertainment for most schools. Clubs created by the students provide recreational activity and opportunities to allow students to pursue their own interests. However, esports is unique in that the industry covers a multitude of interests that college campuses can invest into. Students who are interested in different aspects of esports, such as art, the entertainment industry, competition, and content creation can contribute in these ways besides playing the game. This also allows students to be able to connect with others who have similar interests, thus creating a tight-knit community through esports.
LIFETIME “Announcing the 2017 Campus Series!” ulol.na.leagueoflegends.com, 2016.
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OUR STORY The history of Illinois Tech in the gaming community dates back to more than fifteen years. Students then would mention how their first social event was actually not a typical fraternity party or Resident Advisor icebreaker, but a LAN party that was set up in the dormitories’ communal area. Being a tech school, a majority of its students would at least label themselves as a ‘casual’ gamer. Even Greek life at Illinois Tech hosts video game events at their Students at Fall LAN 2017 houses as part of their recruitment events. Usual Friday nights on campus would consist of friends getting together in the dorm lounge to buckle down for a night of gaming - complete with 7-Eleven pizza from across the street, and a six-pack of Red Bull. Students would eventually come together to form the prototype of this club under the name Scarlet League in 2013. The club originally held tournaments on campus and was mostly competing amongst peers. As their numbers expanded, however, the focus turned more towards creating a balance between hosting events for the campus community and competitive gamers alike. Members would be interested in other popular games, with their respective leagues to compete in. The board eventually renamed the club to Ilinois Tech Esports in 2016.
Students from Spring Robotics LAN 2017
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WHAT DO WE DO?
At Illinois Tech Esports, we believe that both casual and competitive gaming is not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle. Our organization prides itself on being able to gather gamers across the campus to participate in many of the activities that we plan. Whether the event involves playing games or not, both members and other students on campus are sure to attend.
COMPETITION Our main competitive teams participate in both official and independently-run leagues. Each team captain coordinates with their roster to set practice times that accommodate everyone’s schedule. On top of regular season gameplay, our organization also provides opportunities for travel to competitions out of the area, most of which is funded by Illinois Tech’s Student Government Association Finance Board. Travel team from MidwestLAN 2017
COMMUNITY While there are a portion of players that enjoy the competitive scene, our student organizers host multiple small to large scale social events throughout each semester. In addition to hosting games, we create various social events throughout the year to help promote esports culture on campus and spread awareness. Activities range from casual get-togethers to live two day tournaments hosting over eighty people. Our organization is sure to always pay close attention to our community and what they are interested in.
Table at IIT student involvement fair during Welcome Week 2017
QUALITY OVER QUANTITY Each time Illinois Tech esports hosts an event, we endeavor to improve and focus all our efforts into making the experience dedicated to the gamer. We believe in competing not alone in our rooms, but side by side with our friends, and shaking the hands of our opponents after every game. Every event we host is executed with this philosophy in mind. When creating our events, both before and after, we work closely with Illinois Tech’s dedicated faculty in all aspects – event services, campus life, public safety, network services, catering… – in fact, the feedback we’ve received from past attendees show that more than 90% of those involved whether player, viewer, or staff - would come again to our events. Nevertheless, our organizers and staff are never complacent and continue to produce and improve these awesome events.
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COMMUNITY
Here at Illinois Tech, the community support has been what has led to the overall success of the organization. Student gamers here are passionate about learning the game and finding camaraderie with other gamers. With a wide spectrum ranging from playing a few hours a week to our most dedicated players that play up to 6-8 hours a day, it’s not uncommon that lasting friendships are made from a game. At the end of each event the organization hosts, come artwork from individuals, new submissions for t-shirt designs, pictures showcasing the diversity of gaming gear and the community, players sending friend requests to old opponents, and brochures scattered across the venue from companies advertising their services or products to the community.
GLOBAL GROUNDS Esports is universal - and so are our players. The games allow them to meet with others, practice their English (or even speak in their native tongue in some unique cases), and is a great way for them to be involved outside of classes. On the other end, you can have esport leaders begin their involvement in their first year and continue throughout their entire college duration.
IN THE LOOP llinois Tech Esports uses a variety of social media and other forms of communication to share news and promote events. We host a Discord server (a video game voice-over application) that lets players easily introduce themself to Illinois Tech’s gaming community and find other students with interests in similar games. Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr are also common forms to post our material online.
Participants in Union Board and Illinois Tech Esports’ joint pumpkin carving event 2017 League of Legends Worlds Viewing Party 2017 16
Club recruitment/outreach on MTCC Bridge
IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE GAME There are a variety of social events we create to help our community and players get away from the keyboard ( just for a little while at least). Opportunities such as these help our gamers learn more about each other outside of the game and help increase campus awareness of our organization. Sure, a passerby may not be interested in the game, but everyone appreciates a good event where you can participate without knowing everything there is in the game. Being present at one of our viewing parties or helping carve a pumpkin with a goofy video-game character stencil lets outsiders know more about the organization and strengthens our support from the campus. With the possible expansion into a varsity program, we hope to also increase our outreach with this new status by looking for professional opportunities. Bringing in guest speakers from prominent esport titles or inviting tech companies that design video games into our career fairs are just a few of the possibilities that await.
Winners of raffle from Recruitment Week LAN 2018
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COMPETITION Our organization allows players on campus to participate competitively in a deep variety of games. We are attentive to our members’ interests- if there are any new competitions or tournaments in games that they are interested in, our executive board will work with them to start a team.
FOLLOWING A PASSION One great thing about collegiate esports is the number of leagues available to join. These leagues, run by either an official game company or a third-party organizer, allow players with short-time commitments to be able to enjoy the thrill of competition without significant time consumption. Others who are more dedicated to competition and the games will be involved throughout their college years. Many of our current first and second year undergraduate students have had Illinois Tech Esports as their first student organization to be a part of. Their passion mixed with our reputation have made it, in the word’s of one our players, “the only club I needed to look for”.
Students from Fall Robotics LAN 2017
Illinois Tech has begun competing in collegiate leagues and competitions since 2015. Our players independently coordinate with each teammate to conduct weekly practices. A number of players have traveled to participate in out-of-state tournaments. With the creation of a varsity program, we hope to bring in more talent and create a stronger infrastructure for our teams.
Each game showcased in the following pages are some of the popular titles in collegiate esports. Our organization will always choose to participate in official leagues run by the game company, but in the event that there is none, we will seek a trusted third-party league so that our players have an opportunity to compete in a collegiate setting.
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“League of Legends Gameplay�, Google Images.
LEAGUE OF LEGENDS League of Legends (LoL), created by Riot Games, is a 5v5 Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) in which two teams compete in a tactical and skill-based battle to take down the opposing teams nexus base. With over 130 champions with unique abilities and playstyles to choose from, players create a team that works together in order to win the game. LoL has continued to be one of the most popular titles for both casual and competitive players. Their Worlds Championship last year boasted a peak viewership at over 106 million concurrent viewers.1 Riot coordinates the collegiate scene under College League of Legends.
WHAT WE DO For the collegiate season, Riot Games hosts a geographically-based, conference-style tournament in order to determine the top teams going into playoffs.2 Teams that make it through the regular season with one or fewer losses will be allowed to move on to playoffs to compete for first place. IIT has participated for the past two years, and we are placed in the top third of entrants. With proper staffing and facilities, IIT will be able to move past the group stage into playoffs. On campus, people often play League of Legends as a chance to compete with friends, others of the same skill level, and to participate in the global community. Illinois Tech Esports currently provides several competitive teams and tournaments for anyone to join around the Chicago area. Along with our viewing parties, themed events, and locally-hosted tournaments, this game is the most popular of the titles we cover.
1. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/video-games/league-legends-`players-log-1-billion-hours-month-f1C6423906 2.https://college.lolesports.com/
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“Blizzard’s ‘Overwatch’ hits consoles and PC on May 24”, engadget.com, 2016.
OVERWATCH Overwatch is a multiplayer first-person shooter (FPS) developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The game features objective-focused combat where two opposing teams of six players each select a hero with unique abilities and roles. Ranging from offense, defense, support and tanks, the game encourages adaptation so that players are allowed to switch characters mid-game to counter their opponents. The current competitive scene for professionals is under Blizzard’s ‘Overwatch League’ - an organization of teams similar to traditional North American professional sports leagues. With the competitive scene just emerging (Overwatch League began in January 2018), it has been very successful with financial supporters. Backed by owners such as Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots and Stan Kroenke of the Los Angeles Rams, these franchisees allow professional players to have the same benefits as their traditional athlete counterparts.
WHAT WE DO In the collegiate scene, Tespa, an official collegiate esport organization, works directly with Blizzard games to manage the league for colleges to participate in. Winners receive scholarship prizes, which is a big draw for many students across the nation. This is one of the organization’s newer ventures (students formed the team the summer of 2017), but it has already seen successful results. The team competed in the quarterfinals of Collegiate StarLeague (CSL)’s summer tournament, and went 4-3 in the group stage. A new roster was formed in the fall, and participated in Tespa’s Overwatch Open,1 placing 61st out of 159 schools across the nation. Our players are in or around the top 10% of the playerbase, and would heavily benefit from better infrastructure.
1. https://compete.tespa.org/tournament/88/team/16712
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“Hearthstone Gameplay”, Google Images.
HEARTHSTONE Hearthstone is a free-to-play online card game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. Two opponents construct decks with unique spells, traps, and monsters. The goal is to eliminate your opponent by reducing their health to zero before they defeat you. With its cross-platform advantage (it is able to be played on PC or a mobile device) and simplistic nature, the game has been well received from both the community and critics alike. With 70 million unique registered players,1 the game is popular to both play and stream. Many cash prize tournaments are hosted by Blizzard and third-party organizers.
WHAT WE DO In the collegiate scene, Tespa manages a number of tournaments with scholarship opportunities. While many other collegiate esport titles limit universities to submit only one team for each school, Hearthstone allows multiple teams from a school to participate. The focus is also aimed towards the community. “Fireside Gatherings” encourage players to play in LANs to redeem unique prizes and rewards. While Hearthstone is played in a 1v1 format, tournaments allow 3 players to represent one team, where they are allowed to discuss tactics and strategies amongst each other. At Illinois Tech, our players are beginning to shift into the competitive spotlight. We field a roster of players made up of the top 2% in the entire playerbase, and are currently progressing through group stage and into the regional playoffs for the Tespa Spring Tournament.2 In the past, we have had our team featured in one of Tespa’s broadcasted matches.3 Opportunities to have the players and the school represented so highly make it an ideal opportunity for Illinois Tech to begin investing into an official program to support current and future Hearthstone players.
1. https://www.hearthpwn.com/news/2827-hearthstone-breaks-the-all-time-daily-active 2. https://compete.tespa.org/tournament/97/team/19623 3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOtXppp1qkc
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CGMagazine, 2017
OTHER GAMES The games listed here have players that do compete in either collegiate leagues or host regular meetings on campus, but are not yet ready to begin a varsity-backed program as of yet.
CS:GO CS:GO, a 5v5 first-person based shooter game, is currently one of the world’s biggest esports titles. The game pits two opposing sides, either being assigned a defensive or offensive role. Each team attempts to win rounds by either eliminating every member of the other team, or completing their team objective. The first team to 16 rounds wins the game. Although there are no official leagues for college students, our first ever team has joined AVGL (American Video Game League) to compete with other schools. They are currently in the tournament this spring.
ROCKET LEAGUE
Released in 2015 by Psyonix, Rocket League is a fast-paced sports game where players control battle-cars to hit a ball into the opposing team’s goal, similar to soccer. Players can drive on any surface of the playing arena, demolish their opposition, and boost into the air to gain an advantage over the other team. Regulation game time lasts around 5 minutes, but goes into overtime on a tied scoreline where the next goal wins. Our Rocket League team is passionate about the game, and is currently participating in the Collegiate Carball Association (CCA). They also created their own website where players post highlights of their matches.
“Rocket League Update 1.08 is Live on PC”, thegamescabin.com. 22
“Playerunknowwn’s Battlegrounds”, Google Images.
PUBG PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, released in 2016 by BlueHole and the PUBG Corporation, is a calculated, slow-paced battle royale similar to the rules of the popular Hunger Games trilogy. One hundred players are air-dropped onto one of two different islands, and the winner is crowned when one player is left standing. Weapons, armor, and bandages are located around the map to help players survive. Illinois Tech esports participates in the Collegiate Battlegrounds Association, the largest college association for the game since January 2018. Our team placed in the upper third of competition, with occasional finishes in the top 5 schools each week amongst 25 other other schools in the league.
SUPER SMASH BROS Super Smash Bros is a fighting game released by Nintendo that sees some of Nintendo’s most iconic characters facing off to defeat other players for victory. Many maps are based off Nintendo’s games and other popular animated shows. The student club is fairly active with many players having their own console setup in their dorm room. Smash creates tournaments in the BOG and occasionally has singular players attend local tournaments.
“Super Smash Gameplay”, Google Images. 23
“Overwatch NEWS”, express.co.uk, 2017.
BE A PART OF THE MOVEMENT
With your support, our organization will move forward and continue to provide
opportunities for our campus to be involved and connected. Illinois Tech Esports will be able to bring together both students and faculty through this unified interest.
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EQUIPMENT Members of Illinois Tech Esports have been working to compile a list of recommended products to build the computers for our rooms. Our team focused on factors including performance, future adaptability, and cost. The optimal setups that we have created is shown below. This is an overview of possible build options. An essay written by one of the members on our team can be found in Appendix B. For a full financial breakdown, please see Appendix A (p.39) In terms of licensing, research was conducted with OTS in terms of acquiring licenses and software for the PCs .
CUSTOM BUILD Custom-build PCs that would be personally assembled by organization members. Offers adaptability and cost-efficient replacement of parts. Stats: AMD Ryzen 5 2400g CPU, integrated graphics; 8 GB memory, SSD Estimated Cost: ~$575
PRE-BUILT PCs Dell’s lineup of Inspiron Gaming Desktop. These computers are preassembled and come with a set of standard specs aimed at providing gamers a balance of cost and performance. Stats: AMD Ryzen 5 1400 CPU, AMD Radeon RX 560, 8 GB memory, standard hard disk drive Estimated Cost: ~$699
SPONSORED PCs Hardware companies offering unique, custom-made PCs specifically with gaming in mind. These are provided through sponsorship. Companies send similar setups to universities when they sponsor their teams. Stats: Intel i7 core, NVIDIA GTX 1080, 16 GB memory, SSD Estimated Cost: ~$1600 (subsizided through sponsorship)
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STAFFING In order to create a full-fledged program, we will need staff to support our teams. Our executive board has been in discussion with Athletics on their current system; as a result, the roles that we have are as follows:
ESPORTS DIRECTOR (full-time position) Primary Function: Athletic Director/Sports Administration. The individual will provide leadership to the athletic department relative to education, monitoring, enforcement, and maintenance of a comprehensive esports program. Duties and Responsibilities: This individual will keep the Athletic Director aware of progress and issues related to maintaining institutional compliance with NACE, Riot Games, Tespa, Blizzard Games, and university regulations by student-athletes, coaches, institution staff members and representatives of Illinois Tech’s athletic interests, as well as reporting all violations of those rules. This position acts as the institutional liaison and manages all aspects of a departmental compliance program. Additionally, it is imperative for this position to use cost effective, efficient and initiative in planning work assignments and implement long-range program improvements. The potential ramifications of an improper interpretation could have a devastating impact on a student-athletes eligibility, a staff member’s ability to recruit prospective student-athletes, the athletic department’s status, and ultimately the University’s local, regional or national reputation. Job responsibilities may include evenings and weekends. Effectively coordinate the recruiting of student-athletes within admission standards and policies established by the College. Provide leadership in responding to student needs and college issues related to Illinois Tech Esports’s program. Establish a written set of aims, goals, objectives and values for the program. Continue to seek professional development opportunities for self and staff relating to coaching and recruiting strategies and techniques, for the purpose of enhancing the program’s competitiveness and the development of his or her student-athletes. Actively promote, publicize, and enhance a positive image for IIT. Control spending and monitor the budget, and determine budget requirements for developing and maintaining the program. Keep accurate records and grades for students in accordance with IIT standards, turning in grades on time and properly filing deficiency reports when necessary. Assure that all staff and student-athletes comply with appropriate IIT and club policies and regulations. Evaluate, recommend, and revise policies regarding travel, schedules, and other issues related to the program.
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Responsible for the on-going management, supervision, and development of the coaching staff. Conduct annual performance evaluations of staff. Mitigate risk associated with home events (maintain a safe environment, monitor events, inspect and maintain equipment). Market upcoming sports events and encourage student involvement on campus. Fundraising/Sponsorship Initiatives Create new content to promote the department and individual programs. Supervise the esports Information/Game Operations Coordinators. Supervise the esports Information/Game Operations Staff. Manage and approve content to be published on website and social media. Other duties as assigned. Minimum Required Qualifications: • Bachelor’s Degree. • Administrative and supervisory experience in the field. • Proven experience with effective oral, written, and electronic communication skills with constituencies. Involved in an esports athletics program/club. • Familiarity with team-based multiplayer video games. • Creative, Professional, Innovative • CPR/AED Certified
ESPORTS INFORMATION/PUBLIC RELATIONS COORDINATOR (student worker) Primary Function: To assist with the esports director in the marketing and distribution of promotion material of various initiatives. This includes but is not limited to, gameday cards, player profiles, event artwork, stream overlays, social media management, photography, videography and editing. Duties and Responsibilities: This individual will help prepare marketing material to players. Work with staff and director to compile information in marketing material. Create content to publish for social media. Assist in artwork to be used in athletic wear/jerseys. Update the website regularly. Will adhere to graphic standards to be established in the following year.
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Minimum Required Qualifications: • Registered student at Illinois Tech • Experience with editing software • Experience with film/photography • Experience with Final Cut Pro/Adobe Premiere • Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign required) • Understands how to administrate Facebook, Twitter, and other platforms; is able to discern when/how to post • Knowledgeable about the games and passionate about esports; knows about community culture and is able to market to a particular audience
STATISTICS/ANALYST (student worker/part-time faculty) Primary Function: To assist director in analyzing performance of players as well as creating reports of games. Duties and Responsibilities: Help assist in coaching and evaluating the student-athletes. Monitor conditioning and training in conjunction with fellow staff. Participate in camps, clinics, and exhibitions as approved. Help prepare accurate information of competitive players. These include statistics (KDA, KP, GPM, Accuracy, W/L Ratio etc), as well as post-game analysis and reporting. Work in conjunction with esport coordinators to create marketing material using statistics or game reports Minimum Required Qualifications: • Competitive experience a plus • Preferred skill level: League, Diamond IV and above; Hearthstone, Rank 3 and above; Overwatch, 4000 SR and above • Experience developing and motivating student-athletes for athletic and academic success • Previous coachng/competitive experience
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FOR THE PLAYERS The biggest motivation behind the current leaders of Illinois Tech esports is about continuing to grow our program. Our vision is for Illinois Tech Esports to become more than just our club; we want to transform our hobby into a profession. In order to do this, our hope is that our esport athletes will benefit on the same level as our school athletes and other esport athletes at other schools across the nation. Consequently, we hope to have varsity players included in these benefits: PRIORITY REGISTRATION Coordinating practices while remaining highly competitive is currently difficult. Players have scheduling issues with conflicting class times. With traditional athletes having practices averaging three times a week, we find it essential that our players have the same ability to balance practice and academics. With priority registration, they will be able to meet their academic needs, while being able to practice with a consistent full roster.
ATHLETIC WEAR Jerseys unify the team. As of now, Illinois Tech Esports has spent the past year working with a vendor in California to acquire professional esport jerseys for players. In compliance with the Marketing & Communications Department, we’ve designed these jerseys to both represent our school and club, and have our players look their best when we travel out of school and state. With athletic’s partnership with Adidas, we will be able to have quality, professional merchandise that can be offered to the general public to support the program. SCHOLARSHIP With the creation of the esports facility, players will want to live on campus to have the easiest access to using the facility. Practices will be structured so that they must be conducted on campus grounds. With many current (and likely future) players commuting, offering a discount to live in dorm space will encourage players to take on the opportunity in addition with enough financial incentive to live on campus.
INVESTING IN THE
FUTURE
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FOR THE SCHOOL Illinois Tech esports strives to help provide for players interested in competitive and social gaming. However, the industry of video games extends beyond just the controller and screen. Storyboarding is essential when creating the plot around games. Professional graphics are essential in successful marketing campaigns. Even now, many different industries are beginning to find applications with VR equipment. There is potential for many existing factions on campus to benefit from this, with esports as its anchor. Renovating the 2nd level suites on the west side has much potential to realize other initiatives connected to video games. COMPUTER SCIENCE Freelance coders is a summer camp hosted on Illinois Tech’s campus that promotes learning about programming languages, entrepreneurial skills, and good marketing strategies. April Welch, our faculty advisor and the associate vice president of strategic initiatives, has spoken about how to incorporate a possible esports facility with the current programs she runs. ENGINEERING Dr. Fouad Teymour currently leads a creative suite in RE-130. Designed to help elevate student’s profiles using creative technology such as videography, Teymour has expressed interest in incorporating VR technology in the program. Hosting the “Life Beyond a Career” seminar course, students take the semester to learn about writing, journalism, reflecting, and planning through the undergraduate, graduate and professional career.1 VR today can be used in the medical field in training and treatment, in engineering to provide interactive walkthroughs, and in sports to analyze plays from a variety of perspectives. With seemingly endless possibilities, students and gamers can use VR technology to amplify their gaming performance and careers. ADMISSIONS With many high schools already beginning to create esport leagues on their own, using esports as a point for recruitment could vastly increase IIT’s potential for students ready to be involved in campus life their first week. Working with ambassadors on tours to show off the room can also be used as a selling point to impress potential students and parents. Additionally, Illinois Tech Esports can create summer bootcamps for high school students to experience our collegiate program as well as gain insight from coaches and current varsity players. HUMANITIES IIT offers a minor in game studies and design2 as well as a major in digital humanities.3 Many of the courses have potential to be incorporated alongside esports and offer an academic opportunity for esport athletes to learn more about the industry. Interestingly enough, our roster this year of thirty players are exclusively STEM field majors. If they focused their electives towards humanities’ courses focused towards game design, and created a minor or dual major around it, it could lead to many opportunities in the game developer field that is consistently hiring software engineers or employees with multi-disciplinary backgrounds. 1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1S4hBD7iq0u2JgYe9L3sPjsXwk7iXBz8J/view?usp=sharing 2. http://bulletin.iit.edu/undergraduate/undergraduate-education/minors/#Game%20Studies 3. http://bulletin.iit.edu/undergraduate/colleges/humansciences/humanities/bs-digital-humanities/bs-digital-humanities.pdf
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PROPOSED TIMELINE JANUARY
MARCH
FEBRUARY
CREATION OF PROJECT TEAM Initial Meetings Idea Generation Walkdown
PROPOSITION Proposal Deck Review + Approval
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
CONCEPT/SCHEMATIC DESIGN (CONT.) Outline Room Specifications Owner Review
DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION DEVELOPMENT Room Finalization
Procurement of Capital Equipment
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2018 JUNE
MAY
APRIL ESPORTS TEAM SELECTION Request for Proposal Submittal Present to Administration Interview Candidates
Project Team High School Recruitment Interview Atheletes
CONCEPT/SCHEMATIC DESIGN Site Studies Development of Concept Schemes Athletics Input
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
JANUARY
Procurement of PC Parts
Build 35
LEAVING A LEGACY The club’s longevity has served its purpose in creating great community experiences and competitive opportunities. Almost all of the current club’s work has been produced exclusively by the students. The athletes and organizers here at Illinois Tech Esports are passionate about their respective games, and they want to continue inspiring newcomers and veterans alike to join our program in whatever capacity they can. We as an organization pride ourselves in organizing tournaments that are all-encompassing, meaning that we allow the esports community to get involved besides just playing the game. We train our staff members and referees to be both knowledgeable in the game and learn how to respond to unique social interactions that they will take-away and apply to no matter what path they take on in their future. Our shoutcasters enjoy bringing in their own unique flair to commentary and developing their communication skills. Thus, with your partnership you will be taking your time and resources to invest not only in the individual, but the idea and the organization. As mentioned prior, community is one of the pillars in our organization. The creation of this program invites various opportunities to expand beyond the game. Illinois Tech will become a leader in esports players and education. When looking into competitive rosters, a large majority of players also study in a STEM program. Schools like RMU or Illinois College may have their esport programs, but Illinois Tech offers the opportunity to combine technology with applications in the real world. Nonetheless, IIT will continue to be a leader in the Chicagoland community and the Midwest in esports- and all its future endeavors.
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Carnival Anivia, Riot Games Official.
We hope that this deck has brought you insight into how Illinois Tech Esports currently operates and a glimpse into the vision that we see with our school pioneering the next wave in esports gaming. With investments from big athletic names, the NCAA beginning to discuss esports incorporation, even the 2022 Asian Games and potentially 2024 Paris Olympics to include esports,1 the time to act is now. By helping support this program, you are investing not just into an organization, but into an idea that esports culture will continue to grow and develop with lifelong opportunities in academics and potential careers. 1. http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/41790148
ADDITIONAL READINGS If you’d like to read additional articles and publications that address collegiate esports, here are a few that we would recommend: http://usatodayhss.com/2018/esports-the-new-path-to-an-athletic-scholarship https://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/features/varsity-esports-redefines-athleticsacademics-w518055 http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-esports-college-recruiting-20180223-story.html https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/26/esports-scholarship-program-chief-not-bullish-on-nba-2k-foresports.html
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APPENDIX A
PROJECTED STARTUP COST PC GAMING
Low End
Medium End
High End
PC
$575.83
$700-$850
$1,616.63
Monitor
$100
$246
$560
Keyboard
$30.99
$80
$170
Mousepad
$6.99
$12.99
$23.99
Mouse
$30
$46.75
$116.6
Headset
$59.99
$89.99
$150
Chair
$119.99
$136
$289
Estimated Single Cost PC
$931.79
$1,458.73
$2,942.22
Estimated Single Cost PC (x10)
$9,317.90
$14,587.30
$29,422.20
CONSOLE GAMING
Low End
High End
Playstation
$299.99
$399
Xbox
$279.99
$499
Controllers
$24.88
$182.44
TV (55�)
$299.99
$550
Headset
$89.99
$150
Chair
$136
$289
Total*
$3,186.92
$6,969.52
*Chairs (x8), Headsets (x8), TV (x2), Controllers (x8)
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SPACE RENOVATIONS
Estimated Cost
Carpet
$3,000.00 /area
Painting
$1,000.00 /area
Desks
$600.00 /desk
Director Office Furniture
$2,000.00
Card Access
$2,000.00 /card reader & installation
Camera
$2,500.00 /camera & installation
Network Ports
$2,000.00
Total
$13,100.00
APPAREL / GEAR
Estimated Cost
Jersey
$50.00
Track Suit
$59.90
Backpack/Peripheral Bag
$55.00
Tees
$15.31
Total*
$180.21
*per player
TOTAL High End All
Medium End All
Low End All
Equipment
$36,392
$17,774
$12,505
Renovations
$13,100
$13,100
$13,100
Gear
$3,604
$3,604
$3,604
Total
$53,096
$34,478
$29,209
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APPENDIX B TECH SPECS Author: Greg Bonnema Most esports titles are fairly well optimized. Because of this, the minimum technical requirements to run most esports titles is not by any means excessive. Even a thin and light laptop is capable of running some of these games! However, some does not mean all, and capable does not mean ideal. A good computer for esports has to have both a good CPU and graphics processor. If either of these two components is compromised on, the performance of the computer in games will have a severe drop off in performance. Also important are memory, which should be fast and plentiful for ideal performance, and the type of storage used. A good computer for esports should have high quality components in all of these categories, although some compromises can made to lower price if need be. Take, for example, the computers used in the esports arena at the University of California Irvine. Their BuyPower PCs are ideal for esports, boasting a top of the line Intel core i7 and an Nvidia GTX 1080 graphics processor, with 16 gigabytes of memory and a fast solid-state storage drive. This is a powerful computer that is capable running any esport superbly, and we would go as far to as to call it an ideal esports computer from a performance standpoint. The only drawback of this computer is the cost, as it is estimated to cost at least $1600. University of California Irvine received these systems from a sponsorship with IBuyPower and did not release specific pricing on these systems, though, so this $1600 mark is merely an estimate. On the opposite end of the spectrum of acceptability lies the custom computer parts list that several members of the club put together. This computer would have to be built by members of the club and is meant as a budget oriented option. It has an AMD Ryzen 5 2400g CPU and uses the integrated graphics processor from the Ryzen 5 2400g as the main graphics processor. It also sports 8 gigabytes of memory and a solid state drive. The main advantage of this computer is its low cost. At just over $575, this computer is the least expensive option that could perform reasonably well in our clubs esports titles. The main disadvantage is the lack of a dedicated graphics processor. The Ryzen 5 2400g has one of, if not the best, integrated graphics processor on the market, but it is still a step down from most dedicated graphics processors. In between the two extremes detailed above lies the option of Dell’s lineup of Inspiron Gaming Desktops. These computers range from $599 to $1149, with the most cost effective model being the 699$ AMD model.. This computer has an AMD Ryzen 5 1400 CPU, an AMD Radeon RX 560 graphics processor, 8 gigabytes of memory, and a standard hard disk drive. This computer possesses solid, middle of the line options for both its CPU and graphics processor and is at a very reasonable price. The main disadvantage of this computer, and any computer from Dell, is the hard disk drive, which is far slower than the solid state drives in either of the two options. In a perfect world, these computers will be covered by sponsors, like the University of California Irvine’s. In the event that this does not happen, though, the three computers described above would all represent reasonable options.
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CONTACT US Email: esports@iit.edu Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iitesports/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/iitesports Hawklink: https://hawklink.iit.edu/organization/sc2g
“IF WE ARE TO REMAIN RELEVANT AND ATTRACT THE HIGHEST CALIBER OF STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF, WE MUST ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS INCLUSIVE AND OPEN TO ALL VIEWPOINTS. A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE MUST PERVADE THE UNIVERSITY IN BOTH ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC AREAS.”“IF WE ARE TO BOTH REMAIN RELEVANT AND ATTRACT THE HIGHEST CALIBER OF STUDENTS, - IIT CORE VALUES FACUTLY, AND STAFF, WE MUST
ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS INCLUSIVE AND OPEN TO ALL VIEWPOINTS. A CULTURE OF EXCELLENCE MUST PERVADE THE UNIVERSITY IN BOTH ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC AREAS.” - IIT MISSION VALUES