The following story was broadcast by WAND-TV on Sept. 6, 2023.
"Today 天美传媒 Springfield debuted a cutting edge facility for its esports team. It comes as the National Esports Collegiate Conference is exploding in popularity, now governing 237 American college esports teams.
'Actually having a space on campus now allows us to come together and be a part of a team environment鈥攁nd then we can also create memories that will last a lifetime because we're building a community, being a part of a team,' Tyler Beck the UIS Esports Team Captain, told WAND News.
The UIS Esports team is launching its first season with an on campus arena, after competing online last year."