The community program is the home of our ambassadors and venue staff. Their goal is to host more programming than any one student can attend. This program is often deemed the most important one we have because of its ability to cater to everyone regardless of game genre, platform, race, or gender. Regardless of cozy games like Genshin Impact and Animal Crossing or a first-person shooter like Call of Duty or Overwatch, all receive the same attention and respect. Gaming is truly for everyone, as all the other programs stem from this culture. Gamers are diverse in what they value in gaming, thus we have to be equally dynamic in programming through listening and enabling students to become ambassadors for those interests.
We also partner and collaborate with other student orgs, departments, internal and external organizations, K-12 formal developments, youth programs, and athletic fan engagements. Students who are ambassadors are building their skillsets of understanding organizational leadership, empathy, and logistics through event planning.
Every other Thursday when we are in session we visit the Oklahoma Children's Hospital to uplift the spirits of youth in healing. This is just one example of ways we give back. Gaming creates an easy approach to raising the mental state of kids in recovery, offer a break to their support, and allows us to empower our students to embrace a heart of giving back.
Starting in August 2024, our facilities operate 7 days a week allowing us to take our already active Discord server and give it a physical home for personal use on top of programming catering directly to our campus community. This can range from mixers, friendly multiplayer games, intramurals, and more! Our facility is campus only when in session during the week providing a safe space for all gamers regardless of specific gaming interests.
We host weekly and monthly events ranging from Chess, Super Smash Brothers, and the extremely popular EA College Football game with more in the works! From student only to public facing programming this team does it all, including your private party reservations.
The OU Esports & Gaming Complex is the primary resource and responsibility of the Community & Labs team. Learn more about our home on campus by clicking the button below.
See the Complex Details
The Community Manager reaches out and receives conversations from different organizations to find partnerships and sponsors to bring events to life. Through coordinating with our other programs, we can bring a full and dynamic program to execution with something for everyone. This can be focused on students, faculty and staff, youth, philanthropy, K-12 official programs, and more.
The Community Coordinator manages a team of student lab staff and ambassadors who put on programming for various different groups of the OU community and run our facility which is a 7 day a week facility starting in Fall 2024.
Community & Labs - Manager, Graduate Assistant
- Discord Moderation
- Facility Reservations
- Complex Oversight
Business Administration (Masters), '24
jacobross@ou.edu
Community & Labs - Coordinator
- Discord Moderation
- Venue Operations
Management, '25
Jackson.C.Boyd-1@ou.edu
Community & Labs - Events Coordinator
- Sooner Dojo Series
International Student - Turkey
English, '26
ceren.derya-1@ou.edu
Why Blue?
We bleed crimson and we proudly celebrate our campus colors everywhere. However, when we're running events or manning the facility we have to look different from the crowds to be easily identified in the case of reporting isuses, or checking in. This jersey is uniquely and exclusively for the staff of The University of Oklahoma Esports & Co-Curricular Innovation Community & Labs Team only.
OU Esports:
OU Gaming Club: