Ball State University’s Esports Center has received a major technology upgrade from Corsair, providing students with more powerful equipment for competitive esports while expanding the facility’s use for classroom instruction and creative production.
The upgrades strengthen the Esports Center’s role as both a competitive gaming venue and an academic resource, giving students access to technology used across areas such as media production, animation, and game development.
“This technology upgrade provided through Corsair allows our Esports Center to meet the needs of students in competition as well as in the classroom,” said Dr. Kristen McCauliff, dean of Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media (CCIM).
“These improvements transform the space into a truly multidisciplinary facility where students have access to elite technology that otherwise might not be available to them,” Dean McCauliff added. “Whether students sit down at the facility to compete at the highest levels or come to work on a class project, this technology prepares them for fulfilling careers in fields such as media, live event production, and animation.”
Corsair, a leading global developer and manufacturer of gaming gear, provided 36 high-end gaming PCs featuring AMD Ryzen 7 processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics cards, 64 GB of RAM, and 320 Hz displays. Each system also includes new gaming keyboards, mice, and headsets. The company also provided 40 premium gaming chairs for use throughout the center.
The upgraded equipment support classroom and creative applications such as Blender, Unreal Engine, Maya, and the Adobe Creative Cloud suite, allowing the space to serve students working in areas beyond competitive gaming.
The expanded capabilities come as Ball State Esports continues its competitive success. The University’s Rocket League team won the 2026 National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) national championship. Ball State’s Valorant team also captured the 2026 Esports Collegiate Conference championship, while the League of Legends team finished second.
Student interest in the program and facility also remains strong. The Esports Center has been filled with students each day it has been open this semester, and Ball State’s Esports program anticipates its largest participation numbers for the 2026-27 academic year since its inaugural year.
“This space now offers the speed and power required to perform at the highest levels,” said Dan Marino, director of Esports. “The students have been thrilled with the new equipment, and we’ve seen a substantial increase in student participation in our weekly events.”
The Esports Center also serves as a gathering and learning space for students interested in esports and gaming, while supporting programs such as CCIM’s STEM and Esports Camp. Almost 6,000 prospective students visit the facility each year. Ball State also uses the center to organize and host esports events for the campus community, other colleges and universities, and high schools.
Opened in April 2021, the 3,611-square-foot Esports Center includes an elevated 6-vs.-6 gameplay platform, stadium seating for 50, a 24-seat interactive classroom lounge, and a control room supporting live multicamera and gameplay streaming.
For more information about Esports at Ball State, contact Dan Marino at
daniel.marino@bsu.edu or 765-285-6025.