New Computer Monitors to Improve Esports Club Experience at SUNY Plattsburgh

Esports enthusiasts on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus will find six new consoles on which to destroy the enemy’s Nexus this semester, thanks to funding from the university’s Office of Enrollment and Student Success.

Last spring, $12,000 was provided out of ESS Vice President Karen McGrath’s operating budget to purchase six new Dell PCs, replacing six older units. Melissa LaMere, director of recreation and Memorial Hall, said the full complement of a dozen newer units will enhance the Esports Club’s “ability to perform in ECAC competition and practices,” she said.

Senior Jonathan Jauron, head captain of the club, said the new monitors will be a huge improvement to the Esports Lounge in Memorial Hall Room 302.

“They have curved monitors, which helps process the imagery,” he said. “These monitors are pushing 144Hz, which processes images at a faster rate and pushes how teams perform at competition. The baseline is 60Hz. ”

According to Dell, a monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate makes fast-moving games look much smoother and react faster than standard 60Hz monitors. A higher refresh rate allows the monitor to display more frames per second, resulting in smoother motion and a more responsive gaming experience.

Esports gained widespread popularity among college campuses when the ECAC launched its inaugural season of competitive league play during the 2017-2018 academic year. When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered sports activities in 2020, SUNY Plattsburgh encouraged students to participate in its Esports League that fall. Students who owned or had access to Xbox One or PlayStation 4 could sign up to participate from their own residence hall room or apartment.

The league followed a schedule that included FIFA 20, Madden 21, NBA 2K 20, Rocket League and NHL 20.

Later in September that year, SUNY, partnering with Extreme Networks and LeagueSport, launched a SUNY-wide esports league across all 64 campuses. Today, the SUNY league has more than 2,000 student players who compete across the state system as well as in the ECAC league.

“Esports usually draws about 25 students per semester, competing in a variety of games,” LaMere said. “Our students determine which games they want to enter in the SUNY and ECAC conferences. We have a history of success with (then-junior) Adam Farber winning an individual SUNY championship in Super Smash Bros. in 2020, and our Warzone team winning the SUNY championship in 2023 while competing in New York City.”

Esports Club competes in a number of games, including:

• League of Legends
• Overwatch
• Valorant
• Rocket League
• Super Smash Bros.
• Call of Duty

As for Jauron, he’s been with the club “since Day One.”

“I knew going into college I wanted to do something extra-curricular,” the robotics major from Tupper Lake, N.Y., said. “This was a good way to get connected to the community.”

As a member of the ECAC Esports league, the SUNY Plattsburgh club pays for the service and ECAC supplies the access 20-30 games, Jauron said.

“If we win, part of that fee comes back to the club.”

ECAC Esports hosts two seasons each year — fall and spring — featuring a seven-week regular season followed by a playoff period of three to four weeks, he said.

“If you do well in the playoffs, you are invited to participate in a local, in-person tournament to compete. We’ve reached the playoffs before and had offers to go to Albany and New York City,” Jauron said.

One of the largest recreational clubs on campus — members can play in person or remotely — Jauron said they share a space online via Discord. Esports Club is open to any student who is a gamer, wants to be a gamer or just learn about gaming. For more information, contact LaMere at 518-564-4536 or email [email protected].

— Story, Photos By Associate Director of Communications Gerianne Downs