The Lopes’ Leap: GCU’s esports powerhouse fuels Arizona’s collegiate gaming boom

PHOENIX – In 2019, ESPN hosted the inaugural Overwatch College Esports Championship, matching up the country’s best universities for an Overwatch tournament. Airing on one of the nation’s biggest sports networks was a huge moment for college esports, but the event was the start of an esports culture shift in the Valley.

That year marked a rare opportunity for a university that joined Division I sports just six years earlier in 2019.

“ESPN picked up the tournament, and as a result, GCU Esports was featured on ESPN for the whole world to see, including the president of GCU,” GCU esports operations supervisor Tyler Galvin said. “That success of a relatively small club at GCU earned a major commitment from the university to help our program continue to grow.”

The early support for esports shown by the GCU faculty and staff has blossomed into arguably the strongest community on campus, said GCU esports director Jay DeShong. GCU is home to an esports lounge on campus, which takes up the entire second floor of the technology building. In a 3200-square-foot room, GCU has invested thousands of dollars in over 72 gaming PC setups, along with six TVs dedicated to console play on Playstation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch.

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