One of the largest and most comprehensive collegiate gaming and esports centers in the nation opened recently at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Called Comets LANding, the newly constructed, two-story facility is roughly 16,000 square feet and houses more than 100 PCs. It offers an arena for esports matches as well as facilities to broadcast the matches online. The facility also houses a Buffalo Wild Wings GO location.
Cutting the ribbon at the Comets LANding gaming and esports center at UT Dallas [Photo: UTD]
“We wanted to make sure that this was going to be the absolute best version of a collegiate gaming center that we could possibly provide our students,” Dan Goodwin, director of the UT Dallas Student Union and Student Union programs, said in a statement. “It’s a huge moment for collegiate esports and for student affairs at UT Dallas.”
UTD said the Comets LANding name was created by Rifat Siddiqui, a creative writing graduate student, who won a student affairs naming contest for the center.
“The support for building Comets LANding has been incredible,” Gene Fitch Jr., vice president for student affairs, said in a statement. “Everybody in UTD leadership understands the positive impact this will have on our students.”
Photo: UTD
‘We may not have football, but we have one of the best esports programs’
The facility is open 10 a.m. to midnight weekdays, and noon to 11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Comets LANding also features an outdoor green space and a 304-inch screen that will show live game matches, special programs, and movies, UTD said.
To support the esports matches, Comets LANding features a full-scale broadcast and production suite that will stream games on Twitch, YouTube, and other platforms.
Photo: UTD
UTD said that while many matches will take place in the new gaming arena, the school’s esports teams still will use their existing space, which is down the hall from the new facility.
“We may not have football, but we have one of the best esports programs in the country,” Noureen Hoq, a graduate student in applied cognition and neuroscience and an esports manager, said. “It’s exciting to have a physical space like this to show everyone how good we are.”
UTD said that since its launch in 2018, the school’s esports program has won a pair of national titles and was ranked among the top 10 programs in the country by Best Colleges in 2022. Student Union officials said they believe there is a significant interest at UTD in not just watching esports teams, but also playing video games.
Photo: UTD
Gaming center highlights
“We wanted to make sure that this was going to be the absolute best version of a collegiate gaming center that we could possibly provide our students. It’s a huge moment for collegiate esports and for student affairs at UT Dallas,” Goodwin said.
To provide a place for the entire UTD community to enjoy extracurricular gaming and socializing, the facility features not only PCs, but also PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo units.
Here’s a by-the-numbers breakdown:
- Square footage: 16,000
- Communication cables: 109,038 feet, or 20.6 miles
- PCs: 107
- PlayStation units: 7
- Xbox units: 7
- Nintendo units: 9
Photo: UTD
“We’re really excited to have a space for people to game, whether they are super-competitive gamers or casual gamers,” Josh Buchanan, gaming and esports program manager, said in a statement. “We also expect to attract students who have never played before but just want to spend time with their friends, make connections and build community.”
Buchanan said that Comets LANding makes UTD stand out among U.S. universities.
“It shows UT Dallas’ dedication to listening to students and providing something that they’ll really enjoy,” he said. “This facility will really enhance the UTD experience.”
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