Extron AV Technology Enhances the Esports Experience at MTSU’s LEVELUp Arena
Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), with an enrollment of more than 20,000 students and more than 300 majors and concentrations, is the largest locally governed university in Tennessee and the top producer of graduates for the Greater Nashville economy. It is recognized for its degree programs in music and music recording and is one of only a half dozen universities in the U.S. with a degree program in concrete industry management.
MTSU’s IT-AV technical support staff has long relied on Extron AV systems in hundreds of classrooms, conference rooms, and event spaces across their campus. In fact, their deep knowledge of Extron hardware and software led them to develop an imaginative
CHALLENGES
Dubbed the LEVELUp Arena, the esports venue on the second floor of the Student Union Building is a first-class operation. It boasts 24 gaming PC stations for players, a coaching station, a two-person shoutcasting booth, a bevy of point-of-view (POV) cameras, large displays, web streaming capability, and a powerful sound system. Tying it all together is a flexible, scalable AV switching and distribution solution based on
AV is pervasive in Student Union operations. That led Student Union staff to reinforce their AV technical knowledge. They take Extron training classes and meet with Extron Sales system engineers to get technical advice. In the LEVELUp esports arena, Student Union staff performed AV hardware installation, bringing in the MTSU Classroom Technology specialists to perform final configuration and control system programming.
DESIGN SOLUTION
NAV Pro AV over IP is a Standout Player in Esports Spaces
More and more esports venues are built on the NAV Pro AV over IP infrastructure platform. Why? Because NAV provides visually lossless distribution of 4K video over 1 Gbps Ethernet. It’s easily scalable to accommodate as many AV sources and destinations as needed, present and future. And – extremely important to competitive esports – NAV provides near zero latency that ensures players reacting with lightning-fast reflexes maintain their competitive edge.
All of the AV content sources in the room connect to the AV over IP network through a total of 38
Extron AV technology is essential to creating the exciting and engaging vibe you feel when you enter the LEVELUp esports facility in the Student Union building. Extron assisted us from initial design to the final product.
Great Sound Pumps Up the Excitement !
A
The DMP 128 Plus drives the room’s speakers through a 200 watt
AV System Control
Users control the AV system from either the coaching station or the shoutcaster station. A 10" tabletop
Our student staff that runs the LEVELUp esports venue finds the Extron AV system super easy to use. They switch displays from player to player throughout the day, keeping the space feeling energized and exciting. When our college leadership came through for the first time, they were impressed; their eyes got wide, and jaws dropped. Student reaction is overwhelmingly positive.
RESULTS
MTSU Esports is open to students and faculty, gamers and geeks alike, offering recreational and competitive programs. Popular games include League of Legends, Overwatch, Valorant, Rocket League, and Rainbow Six. Student organizations like the esports club provide students with opportunities to gain relevant experience in the fields they are working toward in their academic endeavors. MTSU offers courses and undergraduate degrees in esports-related fields such as
For some time, MTSU’s esports enthusiasts competed from a computer lab in the Business and Aerospace building. When we were contemplating building a dedicated esports venue, we reached out to Extron, because they have a lot of experience in that area. They showed us examples at other schools and proposed a NAV Pro AV over IP design that was really flexible.
MTSU Esports VIDEO LINKS
Click here to watch a report about “Creating an Esports Culture at MTSU,” aired on MTSU’s “Out of the Blue” video blog news program.
Click Here to watch an interview with MTSU’s Richard Lewis, Media Arts Associate Professor and faculty advisor to the MTSU Esports Club, where he discusses the club's development, opportunities, and the importance of Esports within the academic environment.
Click Here to listen to MTSU student shoutcasters deliver play-by-play commentary while watching the closing seconds of MTSU’s win over University of North Carolina Wilmington to become NECC Division 4-East Rocket League grand champions.
Click Here to check-out MTSU esports club’s real time and archived livestreams to Twitch.
Click Here for the MTSU esports club YouTube channel.
Photos and videos courtesy of Middle Tennessee State University
Featured Extron Products
Model | Description |
---|---|
NAV E 121 | 1G Pro AV over IP Compact Encoder - HDMI |
NAV SD 101 | 1G Pro AV over IP Scaling Decoder - HDMI |
NAVigator | Pro AV over IP System Manager |
NAVigator LinkLicense | NAVigator 48 Endpoints Upgrade |
SW2 HD 4K PLUS | 4K/60 HDMI Switcher with Ethernet Monitoring and Control |
SMP 352 | Dual Recording H.264 Streaming Media Processor |
DMP 128 Plus C AT | 12x8 ProDSP Audio DSP Processor with AEC and Dante |
AXI 44 AT | 4 Input, 4 Output Dante Audio Interface |
XPA 2001 | Mono 70/100 V Amplifier - 200 Watts |
IPCP Pro 255 Q xi | IPCP Pro xi Quad Core Control Processor |
TLP Pro 1025T | 10” Tabletop TouchLink Pro Touchpanel |
Global Configurator Plus and Global Configurator Professional | Powerful Configuration Software for AV Control Systems |
GUI Designer | Free Design Software for User Interfaces |