UBuffalo Esports provides students with the chance to engage groups of student gamers both in-person and in online settings.
Many students have a shared interest in participating in gaming communities through casual or competitive play. Through intramural experiences or participating in the Student Gaming Association, every student can find something that fits their interests.
UBuffalo Esports Educational Priorities:
Students participating with the UBuffalo Esports Program will benefit from an intentionally developed environment that cultivates learning through:
Progression:
Students will be able to chart a course to success during their collegiate adventure to focus on a quest of personal growth, skill development, and discovering strategies that aid in prioritizing their academic journey.
Connection:
Through the gaming environment, students will engage with peers from the UB community in an educationally inclusive environment and participate as informed gaming citizens that positively contribute to local and global gaming communities
UBuffalo Esports Varsity Teams:
Varsity Esports teams are the top teams that represent the university in high-level competitive play. Teams are supported by the university with on-site facilities with high-end gaming computers to tryout, practice, and compete in organized tournaments. Some teams will have the opportunity to advance to national-level conferences based one conference standings at the end of their season. Specific game titles can be chosen to have varsity standing based upon the game's level of interest nationally and relationships with the Esports Collegiate Conference.
Community Groups
Students can form or join an already established community group that provides weekly events in various game titles (Apex Legends, Counterstrike: Global Offensive, Dota 2, Hearthstone, Minecraft, Rocket League, Super Smash Brothers, Call of Duty, Dead by Daylight, Destiny 2, League of Legends, Rainbow 6 Siege, Valorant, Overwatch, and Smite)
Intramural Teams
Students looking for more than just a community and testing their skills against other players in collegiate esports can participate in competitive play through intramural groups. These teams are open to all active members within the Student Gaming Association and, depending on league or conference, may have specific academic requirements for participation. This is an excellent pipeline for students looking to level up to Varsity to establish themselves in the program.
Open Leagues
For students looking for UB-organized competitive play against other gamers outside the university community, this is an opportunity for them to refine their skills through prearranged tournaments.
There is a lot of work that goes into the operations of a gaming association. Some students looking to take on leadership opportunities will have the ability to connect and lead their community through several staff roles.
A game, a community lead facilitate weekly community events, track student engagement and attendance. These members participate in weekly staff meetings to engage with the greater gaming community to provide feedback and assist with upcoming large-scale events.
Social media and broadcasting can be at the core of any esports program, and the opportunity to engage with the production team assists with publicizing student gameplay. This can be through live event broadcasting, development, and implementation of media assets, as well as designing graphic and video effects.
Students have the opportunity to engage with intramural teams by assisting in tracking competition outcomes, arranging for scrims, moderating team communities, and other administrative tasks.
Like in any sport, teams need to be supported to perform at their highest levels. A coach doesn't need to be an expert in a particular game but can provide input on gameplay, improve communications, and manage overall team dynamics.
The Student Gaming Association houses a Discord community comprised of over 2,000 members. With that comes a significant deal of community oversight and user interaction moderation.
The UB Student Gaming Association Board of Directors is a group of student leaders appointed to assist in the growth and evolution of the organization. This is a year-long position that requires a more significant time commitment than other leadership roles. These positions assist in the shared governance of the progression with the office of Buffalo Esports.
University at Buffalo
300 Student Union, North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14261
Phone: 716-645-5358
