Last Spring, Mayor Deegan<\/a> signed a bill establishing a $3 million endowment to help fund the Flight Deck.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Flight Deck holds 42 PCs for student use, as well as during tournaments and events. The space also has stations with video game consoles for split-screen and cooperative gaming.\u00a0<\/p>\n Inside the arena is a broadcast room for streaming, recording and content production.<\/p>\n Tom Screech, the esports program manager, spoke with Spinnaker about the program before today\u2019s grand opening.<\/p>\n Screech said teams for tournaments will most likely be picked based on the skill of players per game.\u00a0<\/p>\n If a student is on the \u201cvarsity\u201d esports team, Screech says that means they get a little more support than another student, similar to any other university athletics team.<\/p>\n \u201cA varsity student here gets a jersey, they get coaching, they get support in other ways, they get a play up on the stage, they get their own spot, it\u2019s kind of like getting a spot on a football team just with gaming,\u201d Screech said.<\/p>\n For the first few weeks, Screech said the Flight Deck will be open during the day, but as a check-in system gets implemented, the space will stay open later in the evening.<\/p>\n Students are not the only people allowed to use the Flight Deck, either. Screech said anyone involved with the university is free to use the space.\u00a0<\/p>\n Next to the Flight Deck is the Innovation Arena, a multipurpose auditorium that seats 240 people.<\/p>\n Esports at UNF<\/p>\n Will Raffier, the Flight Deck\u2019s student program assistant, originally got involved in esports at UNF by joining the club three years ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n Raffier, a multimedia journalism student, became the marketing manager of the Esports Club, then the president. As the president, Raffier was able to get involved with the UNF esports program and the Flight Deck.<\/p>\n He said he never imagined he would have the opportunity to pursue gaming or have a future career in the field, but the Flight Deck has made that possible.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I came to UNF, I didn\u2019t really think that I was going to keep pursuing playing video games, even as a hobby. And now that it\u2019s not only my job, but it\u2019s something that I think could be a future career, is mind blowing,\u201d Raffier said.<\/p>\n Raffier said the varsity team is currently made up of seven students for a game called Overwatch<\/a>. Right now, the team is doing scrimmages and practicing against other schools.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/DSC_1761-1-1200x800.jpg\")
Mindy McLarty<\/a>
Students gaming at the UNF Flight Deck, the university\u2019s new esports arena.<\/p>\n