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Launching in Spring 2023

Officially the first and only deaf-led collegiate esports program in the world

Official member of NACE

Official member of NACE

Recreational competitions as well as varsity-level competitions through National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) (similar to NCAA).

Play and compete anywhere at no cost

Play and compete anywhere at no cost

Students can participate in the program and compete anywhere – online or in our dedicated esports facility.

DeafSpace gaming arena

DeafSpace gaming arena

1,850 sq ft of open space in the arena and 350 sq ft of private varsity practice room located on the second floor of Ely Center.
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Bring it on with our Deaf Gain

Gallaudet University now has a varsity esports program, and as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Esports, they play teams from all over the country. Students, staff, and faculty can also participate in the program for fun.

With our Deaf Gain, we’re a force to be reckoned with in tournaments and other competitions, even if we play for fun!

A state-of-the-art DeafSpace gaming arena

Opening in Spring 2023

Our students, staff, and faculty will have free access to our top-of-the-line gaming equipment and plenty of room to play.*

1,850 sq ft of open space in the arena and 350 sq ft of private varsity practice room located on the second floor of Ely Center.

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Professional Gaming PCs
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Xbox Series X
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Playstation 5
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Nintendo Switches
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Racing Rigs
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VR headsets

Awesome game titles to play

The three most popular developers within collegiate esports are: 
Riot Games | Blizzard | Epic Games

Why Gallaudet esports?

One of the fastest-growing sports on the planet, our esports program will provide our students with the skills needed to succeed in a fast-growing industry.

Over 160 member colleges and universities, and more than 5,000 participating student-athletes.

Over 474 million esports fans around the world.

More than 8 million active streamers on Twitch. Discord has more than 140 million active users each month and 300 million registered accounts.

Indeed.com says that a gaming manager for Blizzard Entertainment, a division of esports giant Activision Blizzard, can make up to $155,000, while ZipRecruiter says that a freelance esports and video game content creator can make an average of $54,226.
Statista.com says that the esports industry as a whole is already worth $1 billion, but it is expected to keep growing and be worth $1.6 billion by 2024.

The first and only deaf-led collegiate esports program, with deaf students competing all over the country.

The first and only collegiate esports program where communication is primarily in American Sign Language.

The first and only collegiate esports team and program in Gallaudet history.

Interested in joining? Game On Bison!

Esports enrich the college experience

The esports program is great for students who want to play games for fun or to compete. It is also great for students who want to learn about event management, communications, game design, coaching… or just be part of a growing field. Grow in these areas:

  • Management
  • Coaching
  • Teamwork
  • Leadership
  • Communication
  • Strategic/advanced thinking
  • Memory
  • Problem-solving
  • Attention/focus
  • Multitasking skills

Our Commitment to Academic Success

Many of our students have been playing esports since they were young, and now they can combine their love of esports, play with deaf peers, use their deaf gain to compete with other students from different colleges, and expand their academic goals.

The requirement to play sports is just 2.0 GPA but our student-athletes typically do much better than the general student population due to an excellent, structured environment and support from our coaches and peers.

Led by experienced deaf coaches

Led by our athletic director, Warren Keller ’10, who started an online esports tournament for deaf high school athletes and students in which over twenty schools took part. Warren brought in Justin Arrigo, an experienced athlete and gamer, as our first coach. Arrigo, a lifelong gamer, continues to fine-tune his craft online as he takes the reins as Gallaudet’s Esports Program Coordinator. When he was a Gallaudet student, he co-established the “Gamers United” club in 2010-11, which later developed into the “Bison Games Club” still active today. Arrigo and friends created the club to provide organization for the Brickfest/Rockfest esports competition and other game release parties. “I am honored and beyond excited to lead Gallaudet’s Esports program and level up the student experience on campus,” said Arrigo. “Game on, Bison!”

We’re an Official Member of NACE

The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is the largest and oldest nonprofit membership association organized and led by colleges and universities interested in the growth of varsity esports. As the only organization of its kind, NACE provides the structure and tools needed for our members to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space.

  • 160+ member colleges and universities
  • 5,000+ participating student-athletes
  • Organized play in nine different game titles as well as live-streamed competitions and live championship events