Ringling College Esports to Get Dedicated Arena

Ringling College’s varsity esports team in Sarasota, Florida, will have their own dedicated esports arena on campus with 10 gaming stations, a lounge viewing area and an Xbox station.

The arena will be located on the ground floor of the Ann and Alfred Goldstein Residence Hall and ready for the Fall 2023 semester. The Ringling College esports program was founded in 2020 to drive online esports competition against other colleges and universities during the pandemic. The varsity team was formed in 2021.

“Being able to play all together in the same arena will really be a great way to build team connections and interactions,” said Shannon Craddock, a player on the school’s Valorant team. “Playing with your team in the same room brings out a whole different feeling, because you can respond and adapt to your teammates physically, rather than just having to interpret from a voice call. I’m excited to have an esports-specific environment because playing in your room or dorm can invite distractions or computer-related issues.”