Game on, Belmont University

Render of the proposed esports suite, created by Daniel Judy, courtesy of Jamie Zeller

With its new esports room, Belmont is ready to get its head in the game.

Recently, Belmont released an image rendering of the room, coming to Caldwell II, along with details behind the project to show more beyond the image’s edges.

The render was created by Daniel Judy, project manager of Earl Swensson Associates. Judy had the help of FitRec Director Jamie Zeller for the decision and planning of the gaming room. 

“I think this shows certainly the intent. Some of the furniture might be a little bit different…I think the general feel of the space is accurate,” Judy said. 

In the space, there is a competitive setup for matches between teams and the space is heavily connected with Bruins Esports, a club for competitive gaming at Belmont. The room is reportedly going to be 2500 square feet.

This image shows just one section of the room, the 1300-square-foot section dedicated to solely esports gaming that will supply 25 computers to use for scrimmages and competitions.

Expectations for the room include hosting live tournaments and scrimmages for the Bruin Esports club.

Students should not expect Bruin Esports to have priority over this section.

“This is a space for students,” Zeller said. “The majority of the time and the majority of the space will be dedicated for drop-in play and people just coming in leisurely to play games.”

As for the other section, it will be a TV lounge supplied with 10 80-inch TVs for students who prefer console gaming or who want to relax and watch TV.

The location of the room will be on the first floor down the central wing of Caldwell II.

Building the room from the ground up and with specific gaming equipment was an intentional decision.

“It's always better to do it and design the room for the activity that's going to happen, rather than trying to retrofit an existing space because that existing space may not have all of these considerations,” Zeller said.

The Bruin Esports club was founded in 2016, but it became more consistently active in 2021.

The club sees a lot of potential for continued growth with this new room.

“I think it's a great opportunity to get the club a bit closer together and more active,” said Bruin Esports presidents, Tommy Nguyen.

The space is expected to be ready when Caldwell II opens for the 2025 fall semester.

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This article was written by Reece Leddy