Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

Joey Deep, president of the Rocket League club, has championed varsity esports since his first year. What started as a way to connect and compete online has become a way to create community in a new space thanks to gifts during One Day, One Dayton.

Esports isn’t new at UD — in fact, the esports club was formed about a decade ago. But in 2021, following the COVID-19 pandemic, students were determined to strengthen the team and take it to the next level. That year, the first varsity Rocket League team was formed. 

“Folks were coming back to school, and they wanted to have a community around the things they cared about,” said Gwyn Fox Stump, director of student activities in the Center for Student Involvement. “Students had to stay closed off in their residence halls or apartments, so finding ways they could come together was really important.” Esports was a natural fit. 

This year, Rocket League’s third academic year operating on a varsity level, new opportunities for improvement have arisen. Donations to the Student Development Fund for Excellence on One Day, One Dayton supported the opening of a new varsity esports lounge in Kennedy Union. 

The space has eight stations, each equipped with desks, computers and chairs, with more on the way. Additionally, TVs were installed to broadcast games as they’re being played. Since opening the space last spring, the team has already seen increased interest, performance improvements and an overall boost in team morale.

“It's kept interest up a lot more than we’ve seen in the past couple seasons. When official matches are done for the semester, we see people losing interest,” said Deep, a junior majoring in marketing. “Now we’re seeing players sticking around and continuing to try to improve because they have the space here.”

Having a full team and a functioning meeting space has made practice easier and allows competitors to simulate the atmosphere of an in-person tournament, adjusting to playing alongside teammates and using a setup that is different from their own. This year, the Rocket League team hopes to bring home a trophy from Collision on the Coast, a tournament hosting multiple collegiate Rocket League teams.

“In the lounge when you’re with your team, you have so much better communication and camaraderie,” said Deep. “I personally play better when I’m next to other people. And then obviously the hype of when you score a goal and you get to fist bump to your teammates makes it even better.” 

As interest continues to increase and facilities continue to improve, the future for esports at the University of Dayton is bright. The Rocket League team hopes to one day host a tournament on campus, and other esports teams like Super Smash Bros. are working to reach the varsity level.

“Opening the lounge has had an immediate impact on our students,” said Stump. “It’s so exciting to see a new area of student involvement grow.”