Rocket-powered cars, tactical shooter skirmishes, and fantasy arena battles will take center stage on November 8 as Xfinity brings back its fourth annual Run It Back collegiate esports tournament in the Pacific Northwest.
The event is based at the University of Washington’s HUB Esports Arena & Gaming Lounge and features teams from eight schools: University of Oregon, Oregon State University, University of Washington, Seattle University, New Mexico State University, University of California, Davis, UC Berkeley, and the University of New Mexico. Competitors will face off in Rocket League, VALORANT, and League of Legends.
“This is the only tournament of its kind that I have seen where a major sponsor of esports and gaming initiatives is participating directly in the collegiate esports ecosystem,” said Glen Tokola, UW’s esports manager. He praised Xfinity’s hands-on support and the value it places on connecting students with esports opportunities.
Play begins at noon in the HUB, with some regional teams joining remotely. The entire contest will be streamed live on Twitch and YouTube and hosted by Raidiant.gg.
Comcast’s sponsorship covers high-speed internet, prizes, food, fees
paid to game publishers, and other event costs.
Organized collegiate gaming offers more than competition. Campus programs provide social networks, a sense of belonging, and pathways into careers such as game design, esports operations, computer engineering, and marketing.
“I met a lot of my friends through this club,” said Takuma Kainuma of Seattle University’s Esports and Gaming Club. He described the club as an easy place to meet people who share interests or enjoy discussing different game genres.
Billy Katsigiannis, Esports Program Director at the University of Oregon, summarizes the program’s mission as the “three Cs: competition, community, and career.” He noted that the program also runs social events and offers connections to fields like broadcasting and media.
The University of Oregon’s School of Journalism and Communication even offers a Game Studies minor to support students pursuing careers in the industry.
“We’re not filling a 60,000-seat stadium every weekend,” Katsigiannis said, “but we are working to build a cultural community around esports that fuels competition and engagement.”
To learn more about Xfinity’s Run It Back tournament, visit www.xfinity.com.
This article is sponsored by Xfinity.
