PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Nerd Street Gamers, the national esports infrastructure company, announced today its partnership with CSL Esports, a Playfly Sports Company, and Albright College to create a state of the art collegiate esports facility. Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania will be the home of this venue with professional grade gaming equipment for the entire community to access. The college sits right outside of Philadelphia, where Nerd Street and CSL Esports have their headquarters. This facility will be part of Nerd Street's rapidly growing college and university program. MPG Impact Development will partner with Albright College to design and develop the property.
"When paired with accessible facilities, collegiate esports programs create new opportunities for prospective students, enhance the school curriculum, and serve as a backbone to the surrounding communities," said John Fazio, CEO of Nerd Street. "We're excited to continue our national rollout with our second partner school, Albright College, to develop a state of the art esports facility that will house their school's team, provide advanced education opportunities to their students, and be a hub for innovation in the surrounding community."
Totaling approximately 10,000 square feet, this facility will contain technology, equipment and experiences for gamers and esports enthusiasts. The new venue will be a fully functioning Localhost, which is a gaming and esports center owned and operated by Nerd Street. Localhosts provide the highest quality gaming equipment and peripherals, including PCs, consoles, keyboards, headphones, and more. This gaming and esports center will also have a stage for high intensity competitions and a production studio for content creation. On the academic side, Albright College will have access to private rooms for its esports team and classroom space.
"We are thrilled about this partnership and the expanded athletic and academic opportunities that it brings to our students at Albright College," said Albright President Jacquelyn S. Fetrow, Ph.D. "Not only will it be a catalyst for our growing varsity esports team and our Gamers Guild student club, it will inspire synergies with our computer science department, enhance our game and simulation major, provide hands-on learning experiences for our Science Research Institute high school students and others interested in the esports industry. This will be a welcoming, exciting new venue for the surrounding community."
While this facility will be located on a college campus, its doors will be open to anyone who wants to enjoy the amenities. From casual gamers and those new to the esports scene, to high school teams and esports tournament organizers, this space will welcome everyone.
Nerd Street continues to expand into the college and university space as the popularity of esports continues to rise. With more high schools and colleges establishing esports programs, the need for a gaming and esports center like Localhost to house these teams and programs is at an all time high. In partnership with CSL Esports, Nerd Street brings that opportunity and accessibility to Albright College allowing the school to set the standard for the future of collegiate esports facilities.
"With these investments, Albright College is firmly establishing itself as a preeminent esports program in the region. The meaningful implementation of the esports curriculum will help create a pipeline for students who are keen on making a career in the burgeoning esports industry and related fields," said CSL Esports Head of Business Development and Berks County native, Charles O'Donnell.
Nerd Street and CSL Esports continue their partnership after successfully launching the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Starleague, the largest collegiate esports league in North America. The two companies along with other partners have been running Call of Duty, CS:GO, League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League tournaments for the collegiate community since September 2021.
About Albright College
Named a top national college by Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education, Albright College (founded 1856) is home to a diverse community of learners who cultivate integrity, curiosity, connection and resilience. Through learning experiences that engage a student's creative and innovative capacities across all disciplines, both inside and outside of the classroom, an Albright College education guarantees that each student learns how to engage the world, understand the world, and is prepared to make an impact on a rapidly changing world. Located in Reading, Pa., Albright is home to undergraduate students, adult learners and graduate students. http://www.albright.edu
About CSL Esports
CSL Esports provides turnkey solutions for schools and students to compete and learn valuable skills in the rapidly expanding esports industry. Since 2009 CSL Esports has been the operator of North America's largest collegiate esports business and has provided over $1 million in direct scholarships. CSL Esports works with scholastic partners at all levels including colleges & universities, state and local high school districts, athletic and activities associations, departments of education, and parks & recreation in this new endeavor. http://www.cslesports.com
About Nerd Street Gamers
Nerd Street Gamers (Nerd Street) is a national network of esports facilities and events dedicated to powering competitive opportunities for gamers. The company promotes greater access to the esports industry, laying a national framework for esports talent development and high-quality gaming tournaments. Through Localhost, its gaming and esports centers across the country, the company provides opportunities for gamers of all ages and skill levels to participate in esports tournaments, camps, team training, private events like birthday parties, and hourly play for a wide variety of video games. Nerd Street has received backing from Five Below, Comcast Spectacor, SeventySix Capital, Elevate Ventures, angel investor George Miller, and Founders Fund.
For more information, follow @nerdstreet and nerdstreet.com.
About Playfly Sports
Playfly Sports is a full-service sports marketing company operating where sports marketing, media & technology converge. Playfly Sports drives outcome-based solutions for brands reaching approximately 83% of all US sports fans generating over 230bn impressions each year in pro, college, and high school sports. Utilizing the influence and durability of local sports fandom, Playfly Sports exclusive rights in the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA, esports, and high school sectors drive value for our local, regional, and national brand partners. Playfly's insights-infused multimedia and tech platforms drive innovation through scaled linear, digital, in-venue, and experiential marketing and engagement assets. Playfly Sports has the unique ability to partner, innovate, and advance the aspirations of athletes, brands, academic institutions, and sports fans across the U.S. Playfly Sports is Igniting Brands through the Love of Fans. Visit Playfly Sports online at playfly.com and follow Playfly Sports on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook: @PlayflySports. http://www.playfly.com
Media Contact
Olivia Schaller, Nerd Street Gamers, 6093518493, [email protected]
SOURCE Nerd Street Gamers
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