By: Kelly Stenka
This spring, Doane University transformed Haddix Gymnasium into an arena unlike any it had hosted before. The court wasn’t filled with sneakers squeaking or basketballs bouncing, but with cheers, clicks and championship-level gameplay as Doane welcomed hundreds of high school students for the Nebraska High School Spring Esports State Championship.
More than 240 students from across Nebraska descended on Doane earlier this month as it hosted the event — the first time it has been held on the university’s campus.
For Aaron Blackman, Doane’s director of esports and head coach, the two-day event was about more than competition.
“Esports in general, and then us hosting a statewide competition — I think that’s huge,” Blackman said. “We wanted these high school students to walk in and feel like they were participating at a professional-level event. And we pulled it off.”
Held inside the university’s Haddix Center, the championship brought in 48 teams from 34 schools, including programs from as far away as the Nebraska Panhandle. Top-four teams in multiple game divisions competed in front of families, fans and recruiters. Spectators packed the stands to watch championship rounds of popular games, including a high-stakes Rocket League final between Gering and Minden that had the crowd erupting with every goal.
But long before the students arrived, Doane’s teams were hard at work transforming the athletic space into a high-tech esports arena. The setup took more than 15 hours and involved weeks of cross-campus collaboration.
Ryan Dorshorst, Doane’s director of technology operations, led the charge in preparing the infrastructure.
“Everything had to be just right — from blackout drapes to block sunlight and reduce screen glare, to cable management and
ensuring a clean display setup to prevent any chance of cheating,” Dorshorst said.
Behind the scenes, Dorshorst and his team installed a dedicated 10-gigabit fiber internet connection, 20 Lenovo Legion gaming desktops and powered the event with a 200-amp service — enough electricity to power a house. The attention to detail paid off.
“We had compliments all weekend on how fast our tech support responded,” Blackman said. “Our technical service staff were physically in the room the whole time. If something broke, it was fixed in a minute.”
Doane didn’t just provide technology and support — it offered a true college experience. From branded event materials to high-end gaming chairs and adjustable desks, competitors got a glimpse of what collegiate esports at Doane is all about.
“People stopped by who had never really seen what we do,” Blackman said. “They just thought students were sitting behind computers playing games. But when they saw the full setup, the energy, the skill — they understood it’s so much more than that.”
The event also had a strong recruitment component. More than 70 prospective students filled out interest cards during the weekend. Blackman said that’s nearly one-third of all attendees.
Doane President Roger Hughes was among the university leaders who stopped by multiple times throughout the event. At one point, he was spotted at a recruitment table speaking directly with students and families.
“That was just a really cool moment,” Blackman said. “It showed how much support we have from leadership.”
Doane became an official sponsor of the Nebraska Schools Esports Association in 2023, which helped secure hosting rights. Though newer to the collegiate esports scene than institutions like Midland, Concordia or York, Doane has quickly made a name for itself.
“We’ve done all of this in just two years,” Blackman said. “And the NSeSA board told us we’ve raised the bar — we’ve set a new standard for what a state tournament can be.”
While Blackman said he’d love to host again, he admitted the event was a heavy lift.
“Now that we’ve done it once, we know what to expect. That gives us the chance to improve even more.”
Among the possible improvements for the future? Better projector brightness and solutions to overcome the natural light pouring into Haddix’s upper windows. But those are small tweaks compared to the overall impact.
“Hosting an event like this matters,” Blackman said. “It shows high schoolers that the skills they’ve developed in esports matter, and that they can continue building those skills at a college like Doane. That’s powerful.”
