The Esports team hosts an open house event of the new Local Area Network space in Center Hall March 16, 2022. Sam O'Keefe/University of Missouri
Mizzou Esports is partnering with MizzouRec to create a public gaming lounge that will be open between the hours of 4-10 p.m. on weekdays, and noon to 6 p.m. on weekends. Funding for this new lounge has largely come from a private donor.
The facility is expected to open sometime this semester and will be free to use through the Student Recreational Fee for students taking seven credits or more. Additionally, access can be purchased at an undisclosed fee for others.
The lounge will be housed in Center Hall next to the MSI Training Facility, home of Mizzou Esports. Those who use the space will have access to gaming equipment similar to what is used by the two-time national championship program.
Mizzou Esports was the first esports team in the Southeastern Conference to join the National Association of Collegiate Esports, the governing body for intercollegiate esports. Rather than being sanctioned by the athletics department, it originally operated under the Department of Residential Life.
According to Uriah Orland, associate director of the MU News Bureau, MizzouRec will now oversee the teams. This provides additional structure and knowledge for the program, bringing them under the same umbrella as Mizzou Wheelchair Basketball and club sports.
It also allows for the creation of new esports club teams managed through MizzouRec, separate from the collegiate competition team. These additional club teams, along with the new lounge, will create opportunities for more students to compete in esports and engage with others who share similar interests.
Edited by Zoe Homan | zhoman@themaneater.com
Copy Editor – Emily Rutledge | erutledge@themaneater.com
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