Gaming in the Last Frontier: GCI Powers UAF’s Esports Leaders
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Wintertime highs in the negative double digits and vivid displays of green, purple, and pink rippling across the night sky aren’t uncommon in Fairbanks. Inside the University of Alaska Fairbanks Esports Center, however, the heat is on as esports athletes clad in blue and gold Nanooks jerseys face off against opponents at colleges and universities thousands of miles away, connected through high-speed, low-latency fiber internet provided by GCI, Alaska’s largest telecommunications provider.
Among these competitors is Owen Swan Adams, captain of UAF’s Overwatch 2 team and a recipient of GCI’s UAF Esports Scholarship. For Adams, the scholarship means he can focus on strategy, teamwork and, of course, his classes – not the cost of college – while proving that world-class gaming can happen in the heart of Alaska.
“When you’re in overtime on Overwatch and the payload is inches from the checkpoint, every call and key click matters,” Adams said. “That’s the kind of pressure I live for, but it’s a lot easier to handle when you’re not stressing about tuition. GCI’s scholarship gives me the freedom to focus on my classes, team, and those clutch moments.”
Adams is one of two student-athletes awarded this year’s scholarship, alongside Tucker Johnson, captain of UAF’s League of Legends team. Both players lead their squads in games that demand precision, communication, and hours of practice.
“In League, one split-second decision can flip a team fight, a push on a key objective, or even the whole match,” Johnson said. “This scholarship helps clear the fog so I can see the whole map and make the right calls at the right times. GCI’s support helps us prove that Alaska esports can compete on the national stage.”
GCI’s UAF Esports Scholarship provides two $5,000 awards annually to Alaska-resident members of the UAF Esports team who meet academic eligibility requirements.
UAF has become a hub for competitive gaming in Alaska, thanks to the Alaska Esports Center. The Center, which opened in 2021, gives Nanook athletes the tools to compete on a global stage. Its esports teams and their high-performance gaming rigs are connected with 5 gig fiber internet speeds provided through a 10-year, $500,000 partnership with GCI.
“Esports at UAF is about performance and belonging,” said Samuel Henderson, UAF Esports Coordinator. “The Alaska Esports Center gives our athletes a home base with pro-grade connectivity, team space, and a welcoming community. Support from partners like GCI elevates the competitive experience and gives our students tangible pathways, through scholarships, to stay in school, keep improving, and represent Nanook Nation on a bigger stage.”
“Esports teaches strategy, teamwork, and resilience, and Alaska’s students are excelling,” said Tiffany Vassar, Senior Program Manager for Contributions & Events at GCI. “We’re proud to support UAF’s athletes with scholarships and to invest in the infrastructure and programs that make high-level play possible statewide. From campus upgrades to ASAA competitions, our goal is to help Alaska gamers compete with confidence.”
For GCI, the scholarship and support of the UAF Esport Center are part of a broader commitment to esports across Alaska. The company is the Official Technology Sponsor of ASAA, supporting statewide high school esports tournaments and programs with more than $350,000 in cash and in-kind contributions. For more information about GCI’s commitment to esports, visit: https://www.gci.com/about/esports.
About GCI
Headquartered in Alaska, GCI provides data, mobile, voice and managed services to consumer, business, government, and carrier customers throughout Alaska, serving more than 200 communities. The company has invested $4.7 billion in its Alaska network and facilities over the past 45 years. Through a combination of ambitious network initiatives, GCI continues to expand and strengthen its statewide network infrastructure to deliver the best possible connectivity to its customers and close the digital divide in Alaska. Learn more about GCI at www.gci.com. GCI is an independent publicly traded company (Nasdaq: GLIBA, GLIBK, GLIBB) Learn more at https://www.gciliberty.com/.