Introducing, the University eSports League (UEL)!
Following on from the blog post about how so many students find their way into IT, we are pleased to announce the University eSports League, brought to you by GradConnection and IAG! The UEL is the latest, newest and coolest IT attraction event Australia has seen, so if you have a focus on finding the right IT students or have an interest in providing a gateway for more people to choose technology as a career, check this out.
eSports 101
Firstly, before we get into the details you are probably asking what exactly is eSports? In recent years, computer games have gone from a mere hobby and pastime to becoming one of the biggest businesses in the world, where audiences are now tuning in around the globe to watch people play competitive computer games. In the same way we are used to watching traditional sports, computer games have become a spectator sport enjoyed by millions.
To put this in perspective, 6.5 million watched the 2016 AFL Grand Final. The 2016 League of Legends Grand Final had 36 million viewers, which was up 16 million from last year. However, League of Legends is just one of many popular computer games, with others also drawing audiences in the millions.
If you want to check out the scale of these events, take a look at the video below:
How it starts
Many children start gaming from a young age. From iPads to Game Boys and eventually graduating to Playstations and full blown gaming PC’s, making technology a very comfortable addition to their lives. So when it comes down to what path they should choose for their career, IT is generally the number one option on the list. To find out more about this pathway - check out the full write up here.
What is the UEL?
The University eSports League is a nationwide eSports tournament for students right across the country and has just kicked off with our first partners jumping on board - IAG, PwC and Telstra who have a focus not only on attracting IT students, but also providing a strong avenue for more people to discover and choose a technology related career.
Streamed live and online for thousands to see, students will be battling their way through online tournaments, supported by our partner companies, for audiences around the country to tune in and watch.
Those students and teams who come out victorious will be flown to Sydney for an unforgettable grand final at our purpose built eSports arena. Streamed live and online via sites like twitch.tv, for a large viewer base, this event will be open to all university students, IT and gaming societies to attend and cheer on their teams.
The UEL is the latest and greatest attraction event for technology related students, where companies can take notice of them doing something they have a genuine interest in. Beats a resume workshop any day!
Why should I be involved?
The UEL is a chance not only to interact with technology students in a relevant, comfortable and genuine way but also provide a strong gateway for students to discover technology as a possible career. All the while, tackling the under supply of IT graduates which is something that we can’t do alone.
The UEL will help position your company as innovators in this exciting, new space as well as understanding and supporting something that these students are extremely passionate about. Through GradConnection’s marketing channels, relevant IT, computer science and gaming societies (with a current member base of 40,000) UEL sponsors will receive some of the most widespread yet highly targeted student reach possible. The UEL is not to be missed and will no doubt grow year on year into one of the largest events the Australian graduate and eSports industries have seen.
There are options available for every budget, all of whom will receive significant coverage. To get involved, contact [email protected] for more detailed information, full stats about the industry as well as the various of ways you can get involved and support these students.
A big thanks to our first partners, IAG, Telstra and PwC as well as the game developers themselves, Blizzard and our global eSports partner ESL, for helping make this a reality.
