LAKELAND, Fla., Feb. 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Polytechnic University unveiled a new, state-of-the-art esports arena on Friday, Feb. 13, giving its 14 teams a premier place to practice, compete and host battles in today's top esports games.

The arena features 20 high-performance gaming PCs fully equipped for competitive play, along with two large TVs dedicated to console gaming. The facility's crowning feature is a massive 48-foot exterior screen on the Barnett Applied Research Center wall, allowing tournament gameplay to be displayed for crowds to watch the action live.

"I believe this arena exemplifies our very bold-thinking approach, creating a very modern university experience," said Dr. Devin Stephenson, Florida Poly's president. "To our students, your interests and success matter to us. We want you to have environments where you can challenge yourself, build community and gain experience, and now the esports arena is one of those spaces."

Stephenson added that esports is a rapidly growing global industry, blending technology, strategy, teamwork and high-level performance, and the arena provides a strong pathway for students to hone those skills.

For Cole Allen, Florida Poly's vice president and chief information officer, the best way to do that is through an elite-level space.

"The goal was to not just have a row of gaming computers tucked into the back of a classroom somewhere like many places do when they address esports," Allen said. "We wanted something where we could compete at the highest levels."

Florida Poly esports is part of the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC), fielding over 100 students across 14 competitive teams in popular games including Marvel Rivals, Overwatch, Valorant, and Super Smash Bros.: Ultimate.

"Students will be in the arena every single night, often playing against universities from all across the nation," said Derek Lower, director of athletics and recreation at Florida Poly. "Esports is a huge industry, so it's really great to give our students the opportunity to get their feet wet and hop into it at an early, grassroots level."

During the day, all students can have access to the stylish new arena to play, study or just to hang out. But in the evening, the space reverts to exclusive use by Florida Poly varsity esports for practice and competition.

"I'm in love with the new space," said Noah Vanscoyoc, a senior majoring in business analytics and student leader for the Florida Poly esports program. "I genuinely think it will help esports grow more as a whole because more students will see it and want to join."

Although the arena is new, esports has been a strong part of Florida Poly's culture since its early days. In 2023, the University's Valorant team won the NECC Challengers Division South Atlantic Conference title. And in 2019, student Christian Lomenzo became the EA Madden NFL 19 Challenge champion, securing both national bragging rights and a $35,000 prize.

Jannice Rivera, a junior majoring in computer science and esports student leader, called the new arena transformative, and added that esports benefits students long after they graduate.

"In the field, we will have team-based projects, team-based coding, and you'll never be working alone," Rivera said. "Esports gives you a chance to communicate with others and trust in them. One day you'll have a team and will have to say, 'I trust you with this, and in return, I'll help you.'"

With the new arena now in place, students say they are excited to grow the esports program and expand opportunities for competition, training and community involvement.

"Anybody can join us," Vanscoyoc said. "We want everyone to have an open mind and just have fun and play games with us. You don't have to do the competitive part."

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SOURCE Florida Polytechnic University