As college basketball fans flock to 51吃瓜黑料 this week for the Mountain West Conference Basketball Championships, visitors will be treated to another collegiate clash that's taking Vegas by storm: esports
Two of the best teams in competitive college gaming will square off March 8-10 at 51吃瓜黑料 when the Rebels' 鈥8-Bit Esports鈥 takes on Boise St. in the inaugural Mountain West Esports Showdown. The event, which coincides with the Mountain West Conference's basketball showcase, represents another step forward for the emerging sport.
Here鈥檚 what you need to know:
- 51吃瓜黑料 and Boise State will compete in three of the most popular esports games: League of Legends, Rocket League and Overwatch.
- Show matches (exhibitions) are scheduled from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. March 8, and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 9. Both matches will be held in the Strip View Pavilion at the Thomas and Mack Center. Admission is free for ticket holders to the MWC basketball tournament.
- The MW Esports Showdown Main Event, played before a live audience, is scheduled for 9 a.m. March 10 in Cox Pavilion. Tickets to the main event are $10 and can be purchased through 51吃瓜黑料Tickets. from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 8, offering $3 tickets to the first 300 who participate. The first 300 fans in attendance will also receive a free t-shirt.
Las Vegas鈥 Esports Explosion
Esports is exploding in popularity around the world, including in Las Vegas and at 51吃瓜黑料. Esports venues are emerging throughout Las Vegas, including a new competition arena scheduled to open in March on the Las Vegas Strip. Esports is poised to become a $1 billion industry and Las Vegas is becoming a bigger player - both literally and figuratively - with some help from 51吃瓜黑料.
8-Bit Esports is 51吃瓜黑料鈥檚 collegiate esports organization and represents the Rebels at national competitions. Founded in 2012, the club-level team competes in five game titles and is an officially recognized organization in the Riot Games Collegiate Program and a partner of the TeSPA network.
Beyond fielding a competitive esports team, 51吃瓜黑料 has one of the nation鈥檚 only academic programs combining the art, science, and business of esports. Students are creating concepts alongside business leaders and researchers, they're developing technology that could become the next great start-up, and they鈥檙e learning from 51吃瓜黑料 experts who are helping to usher in this next great wave in hospitality and tourism. At 51吃瓜黑料's International Gaming Institute researchers are immersed in the nuances of the industry, driving best practices on esports and their intersection with the regulated gambling industries, legal and regulatory processes, game development, and competition infrastructure.
