Clarksville, TN – Ranked-Up Esports, a student esports organization at Austin Peay State University (APSU), is ready to take its game to the next level with a dedicated room in the Morgan University Center starting in the fall 2023 semester.
This development aims to provide the club with its own space to build community, increase participation, and house state-of-the-art gaming equipment, putting them on par with other college esports teams.
“What we’re looking to do right now is really use this as a way to revitalize the in-person tournament aspect of our club,” said Ranked-Up Esports President Sam Busby, a senior foreign languages major. “We have a large number of guests, but it’s really hard to create a community when most of what you do is online. Now that we have access to a new space, we’re going to use this room to start adding tournaments we couldn’t do in person before.”
Established in 2019, Ranked-Up Esports hosts regular video game tournaments and events for APSU students of all skill levels. From Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Jackbox to Street Fighter 6 and Apex Legends, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The decision to allocate a dedicated space for Ranked-Up Esports reflects the University’s commitment to fostering a vibrant and inclusive campus community. This initiative also aligns with Austin Peay State University’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, which includes an objective to provide more dynamic programs and events for students.
The new room will serve as a central hub for Ranked-Up Esports’ activities, including open tournaments and party game sessions. Equipped with cutting-edge gaming technology, including high-performance computers and gaming consoles, the space will also enable competitive-minded club members to form teams and practice together.
Additionally, the room will feature arcade machines, spectator seating, and a welcoming atmosphere to foster camaraderie and encourage students to visit.
“This is going to give them a central location that shows APSU is serious about this,” said Dr. John Nicholson, a professor in the APSU Department of Computer Science and Information Technology and a faculty adviser for Ranked-Up Esports. “Everybody knows where to go to watch football; everybody knows where to go to watch baseball. But up until now, nobody knew where to go to watch Ranked-Up Esports.”
Nicholson said esports has grown in popularity and influence over the last several years, and the University aims to provide students with the resources and opportunities to succeed in the evolving field.
“When they were initially forming the club, they put out a flyer for an interest meeting and had at least 80 people show up – way more than they expected,” said Jarad Sneed, director of enterprise applications and solutions for APSU’s Office of Information Technology and a faculty adviser for RUE. “This has an impact in two areas for the University: one is for giving students a sense of community, and another is that if this continues to grow into what they call varsity esports, that’s a big recruitment tool for admissions.”
Ranked-Up Esports now has approximately 100 dedicated members, and Busby said students are encouraged to visit the new room this fall to get involved with the club.
“We’re all nerds, so the moment we find people who have similar interests we just swarm,” Busby said. “I think that might be the nature of who we are as gamers and how passionate we are about our interests. It was very easy to find friends here, and I’m grateful for the club because I wouldn’t have known the same people without it.”
For more information about Ranked-Up Esports or to join the club’s Discord server, visit https://peaylink.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/rue.
