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Recap: The Esports Experience at Spring CUE 2025

Published:
March 27, 2025

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This March, the US Academic Esports League (USAEL) brought the power of academic esports to life at the Spring CUE 2025 Conference in Palm Springs. With the help of several partners, the USAEL powered the Esports Experience - an unforgettable, hands-on showcase of the academic benefits of video games in Spring CUE’s STEM Zone. Alongside Insight, iBuyPower, and Mastery Coding, the USAEL team transformed a large part of the exhibit hall into a high-energy exploration of how esports can elevate learning and career readiness in K–12 classrooms.

A Hub for Innovation in Education

With over 4,000 educators gathered at Spring CUE—a conference devoted to “enhancing student success through technology”—the Esports Experience was the perfect platform to spotlight the educational potential of gaming. Attendees, ranging from educators new to esports to experienced tech leaders aiming to expand their programs, played student-built projects, tackled exciting challenges, and explored classroom-ready gaming setups created to meet students where they are.

Educator playing Pac Man in the Retro Arcade corner of the Esports Experience at Spring CUE 2025

A Hands-On Scavenger Hunt

At the heart of the experience was the Academic Esports Scavenger Hunt. More than two hundred educators completed a series of exciting challenges across the Esports Experience and the expo hall to enter a raffle for over $7,500 in prizes. Some of the crowd-favorite challenges included:

  • PacMan Challenge: Educators tapped into some nostalgic fun on retro arcade-style machines, racing to beat target scores.

  • Student-Built Games Showcase: Attendees played original games created by students using Mastery Coding’s Game Development curriculum, including:


    • Castle Attack — a 3D physics-based game reminiscent of Angry Birds, played on the immersive zSpace Inspire laptop—a glasses-free 3D experience that wowed attendees.

    • Car Game — a fast-paced driving game where players raced against the clock to collect as many stars as possible.

  • Minecraft Parkour Challenge: Participants tackled obstacle courses in Minecraft on gaming PCs from iBUYPOWER, showcasing the impressive hardware and highlighting the power of Minecraft for game-based learning

Educator playing Minecraft Parkour at the Esports Experience at Spring CUE 2025

Modeling the Esports Classroom of Tomorrow

In partnership with Insight, the Esports Experience featured fully equipped model esports classroom setups for elementary, middle, and high school levels. These setups gave educators a firsthand look at how to design age-appropriate esports environments using the right mix of hardware and curriculum. From casual gaming stations using Nintendo Switches to competitive team setups with gaming PCs, custom chairs, and desks, Insight’s solutions made it clear how accessible and scalable academic esports can be.

Educator playing Rocket League at the Esports Experience at Spring CUE 2025

Esports + Education = Engagement

Attendees also enjoyed a round of Academic Esports Jeopardy, where contestants competed to test their esports knowledge—adding a spirited, competitive twist to the learning experience. It was a big hit and reinforced the value of blending fun and learning to capture student engagement.

Educators gathered around for the raffle at the Esports Experience at Spring CUE 2025

And of course, the final raffle drawing brought down the house. Educators crowded around the STEM Zone, cheering as winners were announced for top-tier prizes including:

  • A USAEL course bundle
  • A custom iBuyPower desktop
  • A retro PacMan machine
  • Gaming accessories, keyboards, and water bottles from iBuyPower

  • A cozy zSpace hoodie
  • And everyone walked away with an exclusive Spring CUE 2025 collector’s pin

Building the Future of Esports in Education

The Esports Experience wasn’t just a showcase—it was a launchpad. By giving educators a tactile, immersive way to explore academic esports, USAEL and Insight helped plant the seeds for new programs across the country.

Want to bring this kind of energy and educational value to your students?

Join the league to bring academic esports to your school.

With expert support from USAEL, Insight, and curriculum developers like Mastery Coding, it’s never been easier to turn student passion into pathways for career and college readiness.

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