ORU’s New E-Rena Venue to Serve Growing Esports Team

Tulsa Okla.—Oral Roberts University (ORU) held a ribbon-cutting for the new E-Rena facility on April 6th, 2022. Esports athletes now have a new venue for training, collaboration, and team development. The E-Rena will enhance the team’s coaching and player interactions, provide competition spaces, training areas, and technological upgrades.

“Video games have become much more than a hobby,” said ORU President William M. Wilson. “With the growth of esports, this is now a multi-billion-dollar industry, attracting millions of fans and viewers. At universities all over America, esports is becoming as competitive as football and basketball. We are thrilled to offer ORU students a world-class venue for this international sport.”

The E-Rena is located on the first floor, south side of the Hamill Center. It contains 3,000 square feet of space with darker interior finishes and dimmable lights. Esports athletes will have access to 8 gaming PCs and 2 interactive gaming stations with 20 seats for gamers and spectators. It includes a team meeting space with a Newline interactive touch display table and a shout caster/broadcast booth. 

“Esports generate about 26 million viewers a month,” said Jonathon Baker, ORU’s Director of Student Experience, “and as popularity continues to grow, universities are building dedicated spaces for their esports athletes. Our campus continues to expand, and as part of the expansion, our new venue will take our team to the next level.” 

Renovations have transformed the existing space into a new facility that supports ORU’s collegiate-level esports team and recognizes competitive gaming as an integral part of the campus. It comes at a time when ORU is seeing significant growth across campus, including a new Welcome Center. Construction has begun on the new Mike Carter Athletic Center, the J.D. McKean Library, and Media Arts Center.

ORU’s esports team is in its third year of competition. It is a member of the Oklahoma Association of Collegiate Esports (OACE) and an affiliate of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). ORU esports matches will be streamed on Twitch at https://www.twitch.tv/oruesports/.

 

ABOUT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY

ORU is a Christian, Spirit-empowered, interdenominational university in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with over a decade of consecutive enrollment growth. Regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, ORU offers over 150 majors, minors, concentrations, and pre-professional programs at the bachelor’s level, ranging from business and engineering to nursing, ministry, and more. Under the leadership of President Dr. William Wilson, ORU is preparing students from all 50 states and 126 nations to be whole leaders for the whole world. 

The Wall Street Journal ranked ORU as the #4 university in the nation for student engagement. This ranking is based upon faculty interactions, collaborative learning, critical thinking, real-world applications of student learning, the extent to which classes challenge students, and whether students would recommend a university to others. Niche ranked ORU as one of the top 25 most diverse colleges in America.

ORU is ranked by U.S. News & World Report as

•          #1 in Undergraduate Teaching

•          #2 in Most International Students

•          #3 in Best Value

•          #6 in Best College for Veterans

•          #7 in Best Regional Colleges in the West

For more information, visit www.oru.edu.