Eleven colleges and universities from around Georgia and several other southern states will come together on April 6 to compete in the Georgia Esports League (GEL) PantherLAN event at Georgia State University’s Sports Arena in Atlanta, Ga. The gathering is the organization’s fourth annual championship event featuring teams from all over the Southeastern United States.
Among the schools participating this year are:
- Georgia State University
- Georgia Southern University
- Georgia Tech
- Kennesaw State University
- Jascksonville State University
- Lee University
- Oglethorpe University
- Savannah College of Art at Design
- University of North Georgia
- University of Tennessee at Martin
- Univeristy of West Georgia.
The winners of GEL’s championship won’t just win bragging rights, though. They’ll also receive scholarships sponsored by Greenberg Traurig LLP.
The event is free and open to the public; doors open at 9:00 a.m. EDT time, with the tournament kicking off at 10:00 a.m. EDT. For those who can’t make it to Georgia State University to attend in person, the tournament will be streamed live on the Georgia State University and Georgia Game Developers Association Twitch channels.
The decision to hold the event at GSU is partially based on the exponential growth of the gaming industry in the state of Georgia, specifically Atlanta. Among the myriad video game development companies that call the city home, Hi-Rez Studios, developer of SMITE and Paladins, and Blue Mammoth Games, developer of Brawlhalla are two of the more well-known esports players.
Said Andrew Greenberg, GEL commissioner and executive director of the GGDA:
Georgia has become one of the most prominent esports locations in the world. Schools know that the desire to make games is what drives many students to want to learn about technology in the first place. An esports team helps them attract even more good students.
For those interested in learning about a career in esports, both Hi-Rez Studios and Blue Mammoth Games will be represented at the GEL event presenting workshops on esports skills, including shoutcasting, livestreaming, and information on how to become a professional esports competitor.
