Lenovo Investment Advances NC State’s Esports Program, Recognized with Arena and Gaming Lab Naming

Game on: A naming-level gift from technology giant Lenovo will bolster the growing momentum and profile of NC State’s program in esports.

Lenovo’s transformational commitment includes substantial financial support for both an endowment and a current-use fund targeting NC State Esports programming, staffing, equipment or other needs. There also is an in-kind component to the gift, with the company building a custom large-scale server as well as donating key hardware for the new Lenovo Esports Arena.

These investments reflect Lenovo’s commitment to innovation, research and talent development in North Carolina, company officials said.

Under construction in Mann Hall on NC State’s central campus, the immersive 5,000-square-foot arena will be one of the nation’s largest collegiate esports facilities and is due to be completed in 2027.

The arena is part of a public-private collaboration, with the university receiving $12 million from the state of North Carolina to develop and construct the facility that will support research and education as well as competition.

Opened in January 2024, the esports incubator on Hunt Library’s fourth floor will continue to serve students, staff and faculty with its new name: the Lenovo Esports and Gaming Lab.

The NC State Board of Trustees approved the 10-year naming agreement for the two spaces in February.

“Lenovo and NC State have a long-standing partnership centered on innovation and preparing students for their future. We’re excited to extend that relationship and help provide these world-class esports spaces on campus that enhance the student experience,” said Ryan McCurdy, senior vice president and president, Lenovo North America. “Esports not only provides students with an environment to compete with and against friends but also to develop skills like teamwork and collaboration that will benefit them as they enter the workforce.”

In addition to being the largest gift received by the university’s esports program, Lenovo’s contribution is the largest corporate gift made to NC State Libraries to date.

“NC State has always been a leader in innovative fields that drive economic and workforce development, and esports and the digital economy are among the latest examples,” Chancellor Kevin Howell said. “Industry partnerships are vital to our work, and we’re tremendously grateful to Lenovo for their generous investment in our students and our university.”

University, Lenovo and other local business and technology leaders celebrated the gift on NC State Day of Giving, March 25, during a breakfast at Park Alumni Center. In addition to the formal gift announcement, that event included a moderated panel discussion about corporate philanthropy, visibility and engagement.

Through this gift, Lenovo reinforces its alignment with NC State in advancing innovation, research and talent development, while supporting the academic and research potential of gaming and digital media and the role of technology in driving creativity and scholarly inquiry.

The Triangle – with its universities, technology companies and long-running sports rivalries – represents a natural center for esports, which enjoys a growing fan base and a global market of more than $1 billion. Several leading video game developers and publishers already call this area home.

Lenovo, a global technology leader, has one of its dual headquarters in Morrisville. The company has a strong presence across the state, including its Executive Briefing and Innovation Center in Morrisville. It employs many NC State alumni and its U.S. manufacturing operations are based in Whitsett.

Its previous partnerships with NC State have included significant artificial intelligence-based projects in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Natural Resources and College of Sciences as well as varied smaller gifts and sponsorships across campus.

The Lenovo Esports Arena is the next step in the evolution and growing footprint of NC State Esports, which is already among higher-education’s largest such programs.

Esports is defined as competitive multiplayer video gaming. Players face off online in organized competitions, which can be streamed live to millions of viewers through platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Increasingly, top-level esports enjoy professional play-by-play commentary, substantial prize money and sponsorships, live audiences and other elements common in athletics.

NC State University Libraries has been the center of video gaming on campus for two decades.

In 2018, several existing gaming groups merged to form the university’s Esports Club, which has fielded competitive teams in popular games like Counter-Strike, Valorant, League of Legends, Rainbow Six Siege and Smite.

Cody Elsen joined the Libraries’ Learning Spaces and Services staff in November 2023 as the first esports program director, collaborating with the Office of Information Technology, College of Engineering and others to develop offerings.

Since it opened two years ago, the lab in Hunt Library has enjoyed 5,000 unique users and more than 44,000 visits. It has hosted three major events, including the Riot Games Collegiate Championships and the Konami eBaseball national and world championships. The lab has enabled more than 100 student-run tournaments, coding and data science workshops, game jams and community events.

The new 400-seat arena is expected to include more than 100 high-powered Lenovo Legion gaming stations as well as equipment to support student-run production and broadcasting. It will more than triple the capacity of the library lab.

Esports is a growing profession, offering jobs in game design, computer programming, marketing and sales, event planning, digital production, broadcasting and more (in addition to competitor roles). The global video game industry overall reportedly generates annual revenues approaching a quarter-trillion dollars, making it larger than the worldwide film industry and all North American sports combined.

The new arena in Mann Hall will support existing gaming-related courses and initiatives in the College of Design, College of Engineering, College of Humanities and Social Sciences and College of Natural Resources, among others.

“We are thrilled that Lenovo has made such a significant commitment to NC State in support of the Esports Program,” said Greg Raschke, senior vice provost and director of libraries. “Lenovo’s partnership with NC State runs deep, and this gift exemplifies their commitment to educating and employing future generations of NC State students. The Esports Program prepares students to work in many facets of a growing, multibillion dollar industry while providing hands-on experiential educational opportunities in fields from engineering, to sport and tourism, to communications, to computer science.”

NC State’s esports program already has enjoyed other high-profile and philanthropic tie-ins.

In 2024, for example, the Premier League team Manchester City FC took on Wolfpack soccer players and gaming influencers in Fortnite in the Hunt Library lab, celebrating the launch of its creative map, “The Ladder,” in Fortnite.

Last September, the four-day NC State University Collegiate Game Jam at Hunt Library featured interdisciplinary teams rapidly designing, developing and showcasing playable games and digital art from ideation to working prototype. The student teams received feedback from faculty, Esports staff and mentors. Arm and Lenovo served as industry sponsors and the NC State University Foundation Board provided a grant for event planning.

On March 2, industry pioneer Ed Tomasi delivered a keynote address, “The Raleigh Blueprint: Decoding the Convergence of Esports, Academics and Industry,” at NC State’s 2026 IT Community Event. As a founding member and co-chair of the Greater Raleigh Esports Local Organizing Committee, Tomasi has been instrumental in positioning North Carolina as a global leader in digital competition and live events.

The Lenovo gift marks the next milestone.

-30-