ESPORTS DREAM

By Renee Berg

rberg@mankatofreepress.com

If the 10-year-old version of Levi Arnett could weigh in, he’d be really impressed.

“Honestly, it’s a dream come true,” said Arnett, the assistant director and head coach for the Mavericks esports program at Minnesota State University. “I’m not gonna lie. If 10-year-old me would see what I’m doing now, he’d be mind-blown. I worked really hard to make it happen.”

The “it” Arnett speaks of is his role at MSU. He started recently and said he is excited for what the future holds for esports — which is essentially competitive video gaming — at the college.

His goals, he said, are giving students a real-world experience with esports and to find ways to mentor and provide for them. For students who want a future in esports, he can help, he said.

At MSU there are about 45 students involved, along with a few student coaches and a manager, on the college’s varsity esports team. In terms of the esports community, the draw is bigger, Arnett said. About 300 to 400 students are involved with the MSU gaming community.

Students can also come to open gaming Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wissink Hall, which has 20 PCs with high-end gaming capability.

Arnett brings a breadth of experience to MSU students who are interested in esports, and he’s keen to share his knowledge. He’s an Illinois State University game design program graduate and has participated in more than 100 esports events and tournaments in many roles, including broadcasting, production, casting, administration, coaching and operations.

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Levi Arnett is assistant director and head coach for the Mavericks esports program at Minnesota State University.

Photos by Casey Ek

Foster Quehl, right, and Sage Coff on Friday play a round of Overwatch at the Minnesota State University esports lab.

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His notable achievements include managing five professional esports teams and leading teams to multiple regional and global top placements in major Apex Legends competitions, such as second place at the 2023 ALGS World Finals with OpTic.

He’s enthusiastic about joining Maverick esports. “I’m really looking forward to bolstering the already talented staff and student leadership there, to lay the foundation and bring Maverick esports to the top of the collegiate esports space,” he stated in a media release.

Mitch Wallerstedt, director for Maverick esports, said Arnett brings a combination of experience at the collegiate level and as a professional gamer. He brings a “really strong core around things like intentional practice, and doing student skills development,” Wallerstedt said.

“We have a great student body and a great group of players who were already a part of our campus community,” he said.

“Students make connections with other students, and are recruiting folks from other states to play. They see we have a strong esports program.

“That word of mouth recruiting helps us a great deal,” Wallerstedt said.

In the end, esports gives students who haven’t been attracted to other intramural or extracurricular activities a home. “We show those students they have a place to belong,” he said.

Levi Arnett, facing, on Friday engages with Mavericks esports participants from within the team’s computer lab.

Casey Ek