Tech Esports Association and LCU Esports turned competition into community impact, raising $3,000 for Children’s Miracle Network.
Tech Esports Association and Lubbock Christian University Esports have been named the 2026 Extra Life Partner of the Year for their collaborative Battle for the 806 esports event benefiting Children’s Miracle Network.
The Battle for the 806, held March 7, brought the two collegiate esports programs
together for a day of competition with a larger purpose. Through the inaugural event,
the organizations raised just over $3,000, with proceeds donated to Children’s Miracle
Network to support University Medical Center Children’s Hospital.
The competition featured three esports games: Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. and VALORANT. Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. competitions were held at Texas Tech College of Media and Communication's Esports Competition and Streaming Lab, while the VALORANT competition was hosted at Lubbock Christian University.
The partnership demonstrated how esports can extend beyond competition by bringing together students, universities, and the Lubbock community in support of a shared cause.
Tech Esports Association and LCU Esports were recognized with the Extra Life Partner of the Year Award during the 2026 Children’s Miracle Network broadcast kickoff dinner on Sept. 2. The annual event, hosted by UMC Children’s Hospital and KCBD NewsChannel 11, celebrates community partners and fundraisers whose efforts support local children and families.
The recognition highlights the impact of the Battle for the 806 and the continued
growth of collegiate esports as an opportunity for competition, collaboration and
community engagement.
The College of Media and Communication (CoMC) is home to the Esports Competition and
Streaming Lab, which is open to all Texas Tech University students during the academic
year. As demand for careers in the growing esports industry continues to rise, CoMC
introduced an esports minor in fall 2026, bringing together academic programs from
across the university, including sports management, psychology, economics, anthropology
and history. Within CoMC, students can draw from areas such as advertising, journalism,
public relations and strategic communication management, and creative media industries.
The minor is designed not simply around playing video games but around preparing students
for careers in a multibillion-dollar industry through skills such as communication,
teamwork, peer coaching, event management, broadcasting and media promotion. It also
provides students opportunities to build connections with peers from different majors
and backgrounds while examining human behavior in gaming communities, which can translate
to professional and personal settings beyond esports.
More details on the esports minor can be found here.
