Riverside County Esports League Opens New Competition Space, The Arena, in Downtown Riverside
RIVERSIDE – Esports competitors in Riverside County schools now have a new home at The Arena, a multi-faceted student gaming and meeting space inside the Riverside County Office of Education’s downtown Riverside headquarters.
An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at The Arena (3958 12th Street, Riverside) on Wednesday, January 8 at 4:00 p.m.
“We are honored to open the doors of The Arena to current and future students in Riverside County who are connecting with one another and their school communities in exciting new ways through scholastic esports,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez. “This new facility provides a cutting-edge space for competitions while extending the sense of belonging and connection for students who are interested in pursuing their gaming passions in high school, at the next level in college, or as a career pathway.”
The Arena and associated rooms feature more than 4,000 square feet that can accommodate nearly 400 guests for competitions. The flexible design includes retractable bleachers, customizable LED screens and lighting, and simulcast capabilities for overflow spectators. When configured for esports competitions, up to 12 players can play simultaneously. With a simple set-up change, the space can be used for small conferences of 100-150 attendees.
The re-developed space built within a former conference center also features dedicated team rooms, a wellness room, a podcast/video blog studio, a broadcast studio with control room, a tech lounge with collaborative meeting space, and several offices. Construction partners on the project included DLR Group and Erickson Hall Construction.
About the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE)
RCOE is a service agency supporting the county’s 23 school districts and 500+ schools that serve nearly 430,000 students—more than the student population of 17 states. RCOE services include administrative support to districts and charter schools, programs for preschool, special education, pregnant minor, correctional, migrant, and vocational students. In addition, the organization provides professional training, support, and resources for more than 18,000 teachers, administrators, and staff, throughout the 7,000 square miles of Riverside County. Learn more at www.rcoe.us.
About the Riverside County Esports League
The Riverside County Esports League was formed in collaboration with esports clubs, teams, advisors, administrators, and students throughout Riverside County. The competitive league consists of hundreds of middle and high school students from 21 of the 23 districts in Riverside County. The league also hosts esports-related learning activities for elementary through high school that illustrate the many curricular connections to esports in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and Career Technical Education (CTE). Examples include the annual Student Fan Art Contest, Minecraft Education Storybook Showcase, the annual Esports Awards, and the upcoming Minecraft Education Code Quest. Through esports, the league fosters student-to-school, student-to-student, and student-to-staff connections while creating opportunities for leadership, learning, and a greater sense of belonging in school communities. Launched in 2019 by the Educational Technology Services Unit in the Division of Educational Services, the program is a member of the Network of Academic and Scholastic Esports Federation (NASEF) and has used esports competitions to grant college scholarships to outstanding students from the winning schools. Each year, multiple tournaments are held online and in-person featuring popular individual and team-based games such as Super Smash Bros Ultimate, Mario Kart 8, Rocket League, with more to come. Sponsorships are available. Learn more at www.rcoe.us/esports.