COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -Since the early 2000s, esports has witnessed rapid growth in both participation and viewership, particularly among college students. Texas A&M is now one step closer to expanding esports opportunities by converting the former Macy’s at Post Oak Mall into its new esports campus.

Following Macy’s closure in early 2021, the space has remained vacant. The College Station City Council approved a $7.3 million contract to acquire the property in August 2022. In November of the same year, the Texas A&M Esports team disclosed ongoing negotiations with College Station to lease the mall space.

Tim McLaughlin, interim dean for the Texas A&M School of Performance, Visualization & Fine Arts, emphasizes that the revamped space will not only host tournaments, broadcasting, and classrooms but also signify a substantial stride forward for the community and the university.

“We’ve had the club team for a while, getting facilities is the next step, and this facility, if realized will be something completely significant for the community and the university,” said McLaughlin.

“So, fully realize we would have a beautiful facility, state of the art, setting the top of what’s expected at the collegiate level and something that contributes to the community,” McLaughlin added.

University leaders say the goal of the bidding process is to attract the best-qualified vendors to operate the facility.

“What we’re looking for is someone who has operational experience with esports and understands how they can work for a community, how esports can work in a collegiate environment, and how esports can work as a partnership with an academic program,” added McLaughlin.

Aaron Thibault, director of games and esports for Texas A&M, says that beyond recreation, they’re educating the next generation of leaders across various career fields.

“From a range of photojournalism to graphic studies and anthropology and technical art and software development, computer science, really the opportunities are limitless,” said Thibault.

Rick Allen, a teacher at Texarkana High School and commissioner with the Texas Scholastic Esports Federation, a teacher-run nonprofit serving Texas schools, believes esports can provide an accessible, inclusive, and equitable path to College, Career, & Military Readiness for all Texas students. He says he’s excited about what’s happening at Texas A&M.

“Texas A&M, Macy’s ex-building, 2000 students going to house it, 400 computers, that’s a step in the right direction. Texas A&M is doing some amazing stuff, bringing legitimacy to the esports realm, and I’m happy to see it,” expressed Allen.

The deadline for proposals is at the end of the month and leaders hope to have an agreement in place in April.

Copyright 2024 KBTX. All rights reserved.