Extron AV over IP Powers Immersive New Esports Classroom at the University of Houston Sugar Land Campus

At the University of Houston (UH) Sugar Land Campus, innovation extends beyond traditional classrooms. To attract students, support emerging programs, and create a dynamic learning environment, the university created a scalable, versatile esports classroom that supports tournaments, classroom instruction, and collaborative learning.

Designed as both a showpiece and a functional classroom, the esports facility serves as a hub for student engagement, hosting everything from daily instruction to esports tournaments, including open lab hours. With Extron NAV® Pro AV over IP technology, UH Sugar Land has built a cutting-edge esports classroom that bridges education and competition.

We rely on Extron products to enhance student learning experience and education.

CHALLENGES

UH Sugar Land’s design team set ambitious goals for implementing their new esports classroom. The room needed to not only support esports competitions but also to operate as a fully functional classroom while delivering the performance required for competitive gaming. One of the primary challenges was creating a dual-purpose classroom. A space that could accommodate up to 40 students while supporting face-toface instruction and active learning. The goal was to maximize seating and advanced AV technology integration while maintaining clear sightlines, accessibility, and an engaging layout for both players and spectators.

Another key challenge was ensuring system flexibility and scalability, with support for BYOD (bring your own device) connectivity, allowing instructors and students to share content seamlessly across the room. Additionally, the team wanted a system that could deliver low-latency performance for live gameplay, instruction, content sharing, and esport tournaments.

DESIGN SOLUTIONS

The University of Houston’s esports classroom houses 20 gaming PCs and multiple displays, including spectator displays, creating an immersive environment for both players and viewers. Each player station is paired with its own display, ensuring that gameplay, instructional content, or shared media is clearly visible from every position in the room. This approach also supports spectators and peer learning, allowing students and instructors to follow gameplay, review work, or highlight specific content throughout the classroom.

At the room’s center are flexible collaboration tables that provide space for group work, observation, or informal use. Instructors can easily move around the room, observe student work in real time, and share content with the entire class. LED lighting with glass walls create an inviting, modern atmosphere that draws attention from students and faculty alike.

When NAV came along, it changed the game for us in a very good way.

AV over IP

The design team at UH Sugar Land relied on Extron NAV Pro AV over IP technology to create a fully immersive, dual-purpose esports classroom. At the core of the system are NAV E 121 compact encoders and NAV SD 101 scaling decoders, both of which provide high-quality video, audio, and control signals with ultra-low latency throughout the esports classroom. The NAV E 121 compact encoder supports HDMI input with loop-through for local monitoring, while the NAV SD 101 scaling decoder receives and scales content for display throughout the room.

Extron NAVigator System Manager is used to configure, monitor, control, back up, upgrade, and troubleshoot the NAV system. Working with NAV encoders and decoders, it enables content from any gaming station, instructor source, or external device to be routed to any display across the classroom. The NAV encoders and decoders deliver the flexibility required for instruction, collaboration, and competition.

Streamlined Control

The Extron IPCP Pro 255Q xi control processor provides centralized AV control of multiple devices and signal types, while the TLP Pro 1525TG TouchLink® Pro touchpanel enables instructors and coaches to easily switch between teaching modes and gaming tournaments. The IPCP Pro 255Q xi works with the NAVigator, encoders, and decoders to manage content routing between gaming stations and collaboration displays throughout the classroom.

Along with its intuitive interface, the TouchLink Pro touchpanel includes preset modes that allow instructors and coaches to quickly transition between lessons, learning activities, gameplay review, and esports competitions. This ease of use supports the design team’s goal of delivering a room that is powerful, flexible, and easy to use for instructors and staff.

“The flexibility to send any content to any monitor has been a major benefit for professors and students,” says Zee Ali, Tech Lead Classroom A/V University of Houston Sugar Land Campus.

Audio Signal Management

Audio is managed through a digital signal processor, along with AXI 44 AT and AXI 22 AT AT Dante audio interfaces. This allows instructors to select and distribute audio from any station throughout the room while maintaining clear audio for both instruction and gameplay.

We chose Extron because of its ease of use.

RESULTS

UH Sugar Land’s esports classroom functions as both an active learning classroom during scheduled instruction and a competitive environment for tournaments and events. Students have responded enthusiastically to the space, while instructors benefit from an intuitive system that simplifies content sharing and classroom management.

The room is used regularly for classes and esports events, increasing student engagement and campus visibility. Outside of scheduled use, it serves as an open lab, providing space for practice, collaboration, and stress relief, further driving engagement across campus. The classroom also supports digital media coursework, including game development and interactive instruction.

Future Growth

The success of the esports classroom has generated significant interest both within and outside the university, prompting discussions about future expansion. UH Sugar Land is actively exploring the development of a dedicated esports classroom within a future student center, which would support larger tournaments, partnerships, and revenue generating opportunities.

Thanks to the flexibility of Extron’s NAV AV over IP, the existing space can be easily expanded to support additional sources, displays, and spaces without requiring full redesign. By investing in a flexible, scalable Extron solution, the university has created a platform that not only meets current needs but also supports long-term growth in esports, education, and community engagement.

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