Hayden Eason has seen participation in the Arkansas Tech University Esports club triple during his four years on campus.
“I’ve never seen such growth in an organization,” said Eason, an ATU senior from Pea Ridge. “Esports is on the rise, so that makes it a lot easier. We have people come here to Arkansas Tech, make a name for themselves and go on to play professionally. We’ve seen all sorts of things, and I love it. It makes me so happy to see people grow here and go on to do incredible things.”
Eason joined the ATU Esports club as a freshman and quickly became a team captain. He progressed to serve as president of the club in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Along the way, Eason has seen the ATU Esports club grow from approximately 20 members to 60 members.
“I came (to ATU) knowing one person,” said Eason. “I jumped into a club…didn’t know anyone in it and was thrown into a relative leadership position. It was a phenomenal experience. Everybody was so welcoming. Everybody wanted to know who you were and what do you enjoy doing. I’ve gained some incredible friendships that have made me who I am today. It’s the things you get involved with at Arkansas Tech that make your experience so great.
“Once you get involved, you’ll make friends for a lifetime,” continued Eason. “I want that, and I feel like I have that now because of Arkansas Tech, Esports club and everything else I’ve done. Getting involved has helped me so much.”
Leadership has been a core component of Eason’s time as an undergraduate student. He participated in the ATU Freshman Leadership Experience in 2021 and grew his skills to become secretary of internal affairs for ATU Student Government Association during his senior year.
“I’ve learned how to delegate tasks,” said Eason. “When I became president (of the Esports club), I discovered that you can’t do it on your own. It’s never a solo act. You’re always on a team of people. I had the best time the last two years working with some incredible officers, from vice presidents to development and engagement to social media to all these other things we’ve done…I couldn’t have done it without every single one of them.”
The 2024-25 academic year has provided a new opportunity for Arkansas Tech Esports club members. They collaborated with Esports clubs at Great American Conference member institutions in Arkansas and Oklahoma to create new competition opportunities.
“With that, we have seen incredible growth within our club as a result of the opportunity to compete in a conference,” said Eason. “We’ve seen multiple ATU teams qualify for playoffs, whether they’ve made semifinals or finals. We got really close to winning the title in Rocket League and Overwatch during the fall semester.”
That new partnership between Esports clubs at GAC members culminated in April with an on-site tournament in Durant, Okla.
Eason will graduate from Arkansas Tech in May 2025 with a Bachelor of Science degree in information technology. He has gained additional knowledge in cybersecurity, an interest he will explore further when he begins the ATU Master of Science degree program in emergency management and homeland security in fall 2025.
Remaining at ATU for his master’s degree comes with a fringe benefit for Eason. He will be able to experience a new opportunity for the ATU Esports club. When the new Ferguson Student Union opens at Arkansas Tech in early 2026, it will include an Esports space.
“The student body will be able to use the space, play games and hang out,” said Eason. “There will be a console booth with a giant TV where people can play video games on PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch. There will be another TV that will show Twitch streams and other Esports competitions. There will be a place to hang out, sit and watch our players. Then, there will be two side rooms built specifically with our Esports players in mind. They will have six computers each. We’ll be able to hold campus-wide competitions and tournaments as well as fun Esports club events. We’re really looking forward to it. We’re just extremely excited for what’s in store.”
Editor’s note: Coverage of the ATU Esports club’s participation in the Durant, Okla., tournament will be available at this link: https://www.youtube.com/@SEsportsHQ
