This article has been updated with the correct spelling of Jeniffer Maldonado's name.
UF’s Gator Esports club offers far more than what can be expected from playing video games on a screen. It fosters community, teamwork and competition in both the virtual world and real life.
With the launch of the Gator Esports Center, the club has shown it’s here to stay.
Since the addition of the center to the Reitz Union on Aug. 28, students now have the opportunity to connect and play in a premier gaming hub.
Esports, or electronic sports, are organized video competitions played individually or in teams, combining skill and strategy much like traditional sports.
Anderson Allen, a 2024 UF alumnus and co-founder of the Gator Esports Club, first pitched building an esports center in the Reitz Union in 2022.
Despite facing setbacks on the project’s time frame Allen, alongside fellow club members Kelli Snellman and Jeniffer Maldonado, continued to advocate and push the idea. Allen became an esports intern with UF RecSports and earned a temporary position after graduation to help fund and construct the space.
“Originally we were told if we could acquire the computers, a room would be provided,” Allen said. “We kind of took some time and came back, and eventually, that turned into the development of the esports project, the Gator Esports Center, as we know it.”
Allen was at the forefront in planning the logistics and day-to-day operations, paving the way for the club today. Now, Lucas Beasley, the club’s current president, is carrying the torch, finishing what three presidents before him set out to accomplish. He believes the hub will expand the club’s player base and strengthen UF’s gaming community.
“It’s a place to all meet together and a place to meet new people,” Beasley said. “But also it is a place for if you don’t have your own setup at home, or you don’t have a computer or console, you could play on a team from here.”
The 22-year-old UF master’s student emphasized competitive play is not required to participate, and they don’t turn anyone away. Esports offer the chance to compete as a team, no matter what your skill level may be, he added.
The center holds 36 PCs total, including 12 in a soundproof “arena,” which players use for team matches and coaching. Six separate console stations sit right outside the glass walls, as well as two streaming pod PCs, which, once approved to open, will be claimed on a reservation basis.
The entire center features orange-and-blue LED lighting, complemented by dark walls and floors. If a PC is orange at the top, it is open for students to play. After logging in with a Gator ID and personal gaming accounts, players can enjoy high-tech gaming.
For players like Jaden Hindle, a 22-year-old fifth-year civil engineering major, the center’s arrival came at the perfect time. Hindle, who joined the club in his junior year, now plays on the first team for Valorant, a popular first-person shooting game.
“I heard talks of it all till last year,” Hindle said. “I’m happy that they finally built it before I graduated.”
Particularly, Hindle said, he was struck by the center’s professional and aesthetic design. For him, the arena room stands out most.
“Being able to sit next to my teammates … and after a round, fist bump and stuff,” Hindle said. “I think team chemistry is going to be a lot better. [This is] my fourth semester playing for the team, and some of my teammates I never even met in person.”
As an introverted person himself, Hindle said the space not only enhances competitive play but also gives students who may feel isolated a chance to build community at UF.
Looking ahead, Hindle said he hopes the university will become a “big gaming school,” recruiting students the same way it does for traditional sports teams.
Wyatt Powell, the club’s community coordinator, explained the club competes in the National Esports Collegiate Conference, which features large games such as Counter Strike, Valorant and Rocket League. The club conducts skill evaluations to determine rankings and teams.
Unlike single-sport clubs, esports participates in a variety of leagues and competitions, ranging from local events with UF Gator Gaming to statewide tournaments against programs like that at the University of South Florida.
“Esports is such a broad topic,” Powell said. “We compete in conferences just like the other sports do, and we practice weekly and we have weekly matches … one of the benefits of having everything online is it’s really easy to play other schools.”
Those matches often come with prize money. And for a team ranked second nationally after last year’s championship win, victories are nothing new. They are especially sweet, Powell said, when the Gators beat rivals like Florida State University.
Beyond competition, Powell said, the 200-plus-member club offers multiple ways for students to get involved.
“We’re like a patchwork of a bunch of different subcommunities,” Powell said. “There’s a lot of leadership opportunities and a lot of student engagement … we get a lot of people [who] are into game organizing or event running, or even production stuff, like streaming stuff to Twitch and getting involved in casting.”
Since the center’s inception, the existing gaming community has more easily grown closer together. Now, members have a home on campus to do what they love.
Caity Beasley, a 21-year-old UF elementary education senior and general manager of Gator Esports, said the space exceeded expectations.
“I honestly was not expecting the space, so lively and so colorful, and there were already so many people in the space and gaming,” Caity said. “I just felt such an overwhelming sense of happiness.”
As a lifelong gamer, Caity said the center also helps her share a part of herself that has been separated from her campus life.
“I feel like I never really get to show it off and showcase that part of myself to my other friends,” Caity said. “Gator Esports is for everybody, regardless if they’re competitive or not.”
Contact Amanda Roman at aroman@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mandy_romannn.
Amanda is The Alligator's Assistant Sports Editor and a senior sports journalism student. She previously worked as the soccer and women's basketball reporter. She also interned at Fort Lauderdale United FC. In her free time, she enjoys weight lifting, shopping and reading.
