Add as a preferred source on Google

Georgia High School Debuts 500-Seat Esports Arena

  • By Matt Jones
  • 05/28/25

Cass High School in Bartow County, Ga., recently announced the opening of a new, 7,000-square-foot Esports Arena, according to a news release. The Bartow County School System partnered with Extron AV Technology on the project, which features higher-powered gaming computers; a professionally lit arena; seating for 500 spectators; and AV features including a 220-inch LED video wall and 56,000 watts of sound.

The arena will serve as competition grounds for Georgia High School Association- and PlayVS-sanctioned events. It will also provide a space for students to learn about game development, sports announcing, sound design, theatrical lighting, and more.

“The Extron team went above and beyond to ensure the success of the project,” said Dalton Jones, Director of Esports at PowerUpEDU, which handled the education technology elements of the project. “Extron’s extensive experience outfitting esports venues with effective AV systems smoothed the way for our project. NAV Pro AV over IP is working well in the Bartow County esports arena, providing reliable AV distribution and switching.”

Technology elements include a NAV Pro AV over IP network that distributes 4K video over 1 Gbps Ethernet with near-zero latency and no loss in visual quality, the news release reports. Other technological features include PCs and tracking PTZ cameras that feed content into the network through NAV E 121 compact encoders. NAV SD 101 scaling decoders send the footage from the AV over IP network to multiple displays, including the video wall and a streaming media processor that broadcasts it to the district’s YouTube channel. The audio system features a DMP 128 Plus audio DPS processor, and the whole system is controlled by touch-panels with custom user interfaces, according to the news release.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • concentric silhouettes of a human head

    How Physical Space Shapes the Mind: Designing for Better Learning Outcomes

    Research in environmental psychology and neuroscience increasingly suggests that the way a room is designed can influence memory, focus, or even a student's sense of belonging.

  • Beyond Four Walls

    Operable glass walls provide a dynamic solution for educational spaces. They align with today’s evolving teaching methods and adapt to the needs of modern learners. Beyond the functional versatility, movable glass walls offer clean, contemporary aesthetics, slim and unobtrusive profiles, and versatile configurations that cater to the evolving needs of students and educators alike.

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

  • Houston K–12 District Opens New Elementary School

    The Lamar Consolidated Independent School District (Lamar CISD) recently announced the completion of a new elementary school in a western suburb of Houston, Texas, according to a news release. Haygood Elementary School measures in at 110,000 square feet, has the capacity for 854 students, and is the first of three new schools scheduled to be built in the Cross Creek West community.

Digital Edition