Bishop Auckland College’s esports programme levels up with state-of-the-art equipment

A rapidly expanding esports programme at Bishop Auckland College has worked with Secretlab to outfit the college’s dedicated esports rooms with the same pro-grade ergonomic Secretlab TITAN Evo chairs used by top global esports teams and tournaments.

Carl Draper, programme lead for esports at Bishop Auckland College, reached out to the brand as the department’s existing seating began to wear down.

He said: “But it also means that when we show people around or host tournaments, they are using premium products all the time, which for me should be the standard.”

The chairs from Secretlab – alongside ongoing support from tech retailer Scan – serves as a massive boost for the college’s growing provision, which has seen student numbers climb consistently.

Currently offering qualifications from Level 2 through to Level 5, the esports department shows no signs of slowing down.

The teaching team has recently expanded with the appointment of Leon Hirst, who brings an MSc in game design to the curriculum, adding another string to the department’s bow. The college has ambitious plans to also strengthen its higher education offering.

Carl said: “Esports is continuing to grow year on year and we don’t have any intention to stop.