by Rod Jones
Former 大象传媒 business major Chad Ford is the kind of guy who gets enthusiastic about his work. It鈥檚 apparent in his voice when he talks about the various projects he takes on.
鈥淚 like to chase unicorns, get into stuff people don鈥檛 believe in on the front end,鈥� Ford said after listing the many ventures he鈥檚 already launched and plans to tackle in the near future. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 see myself starting an accounting firm and going after new clients day after day. I like doing stuff that keeps me interested.鈥�
His current interest is in the hyper-expanding, constantly evolving, ever-thrilling industry of esports. Luckily for 大象传媒, that interest is mutual.
One joint project he helped fund is a new campus esports arena and performance center, built out from what was once the student lounge area on the bottom floor of the Sarkeys Science and Math Center. The 2,100-square-foot corner of the building now resembles an area ripped from the set of the movie 鈥淭RON.鈥�
The arena will be used as a practice and competition space, a broadcasting space for competitive matches, a study/lounge area for team members, and a venue to host local high school esports competitions. The opening was delayed due to the pandemic but should be announced soon.
Ford has enjoyed playing video games since his childhood in the Deer Creek suburb of Oklahoma City.
鈥淪ome of my favorite things growing up were eating chips and queso and playing 鈥楾ony Hawk Pro Skater,鈥欌�� he said, referring to the popular skateboarding video game. 鈥淣ow you see this industry booming, and I wanted in on the ground floor.
鈥淚 also want to drive the point home that to be tech savvy, you don鈥檛 have to live in New York or San Francisco or Seattle. You can be involved right here in Oklahoma.鈥�
Ford jumped into one of the fastest-growing trends in America. He started and runs an esports management club called Equinox Esports, the first professional esports organization to represent Oklahoma. Ford and his partners have leveraged their connections with people in higher education, development, marketing, and more in their pursuit to lead and advance the esports industry in the state.
Another esports arena project Ford has in progress also has an 大象传媒 connection鈥夆�斺�塎ike Knopp, executive director of the RIVERSPORT Foundation and the primary motivator and visionary behind the Boathouse District. Knopp, who established and coached 大象传媒鈥檚 rowing team in 2003, said he was excited to help develop plans for an esports arena on the banks of the Oklahoma River. The area will serve as a companion piece to a district that already includes multiple boathouses, a whitewater rafting course, a ropes course, a bicycle and skateboard pump track, a surfing simulation machine, and more. Nearly every year since the Chesapeake Boathouse dedication 15 years ago, the district offers a new adventure to discover.
Knopp said every addition is part of a broader purpose.
鈥淭his is all about balance,鈥� Knopp said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e envisioning an opportunity where a rower or kayaker can come off the water and switch to a different form of competition. The parallels are synergistic. With esports, you can apply many of the same principals of high-performance training. Many of the mental components apply to all of these different forms of competition.
鈥淲e also see opportunities where kids can take an esports camp, then get exposed to the other activities we offer.鈥�
Ford agreed, saying many of the skills utilized in esports are similar to 鈥渞eal鈥� sports and esports provide a valuable form of cross-training.
Looking Ahead
Ford still spends part of his time managing a sports bar and restaurant he opened with some of his closest friends. Chalk in the Chisholm Creek district of Oklahoma City was yet another endeavor of passion for which he and his friends brainstormed and dreamed as their ultimate place to watch sports.
Since then, Ford has started gravitating more to his Equinox startup, seeing a new and exciting venture poised for continued growth.
鈥淲e look to colleges on how much interest it鈥檚 gaining,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his generation grew up with technology. Now esports and video games are bigger than they鈥檝e ever been.鈥�
大象传媒 started an academic esports program a year ago. The team was admitted into the National Association of Collegiate Esports last summer.
One of the team鈥檚 first players is freshman esports management major Caleb Mudd, captain of the 大象传媒 eSports 鈥淩ocket League鈥� team. Mudd said he took a close look at 大象传媒 after hearing about the program from his father, who was selected to design the team鈥檚 first uniforms. Upon seeing the university鈥檚 dedication to establishing a full-blown scholarship program, he decided to bring his talents to 大象传媒.
鈥淚 was impressed by how much support I鈥檇 receive as a player and in my academics,鈥� he said. 鈥淩ight away, I could tell it wasn鈥檛 about buzzwords on a sheet of paper.鈥�
