Forging Their Own Path Through Esports: The Students Behind the Rutgers Scarlet Classic

Hundreds of esports athletes, live streamers, and fans of professional gaming converged on the Livingston Student Center this month for one of Rutgers University–New Brunswick’s most anticipated events: the 11th annual Rutgers Scarlet Classic.

The two-day series of esports tournaments drew participants from as far away as Sweden.

But while the games take center stage, the real story unfolds behind the scenes. The Scarlet Classic is organized entirely by Rutgers University–New Brunswick students, with support from the Division of Student Affairs and its Rutgers Esports Center. The center is the hub for the Rutgers Esports Club, a student organization that includes subgroups like Scarlet Smash, which is dedicated to the Super Smash Bros. universe of games, as well as groups like the Fighting Games Club and Women’s Gaming League.

And the dedicated students who support Rutgers’ vast esports ecosystem find unique opportunities to build career-ready skills from marketing and human resources to broadcasting and large-scale event logistics. This is especially evident among the students who spent months arranging the many components of one of North America’s largest esports tournaments.

Student-Drawn Tournament, National Reach

This year’s Scarlet Classic drew some 260 tournament competitors and prize pots totaling $1,000. Its biggest event, the two-day Super Smash Bros. tournament, drew some of the continent’s top professionally ranked competitors. There were also tournaments for Call of Duty, Marvel Rivals, Pokémon, and more.

All in all, 1,100 spectators came to the Busch Student Center in person, and thousands more watched parts of the Scarlet Classic through livestreams.

Aaron Kapiko, Student Affairs’ manager of the Esports Center and its many activities, said the Scarlet Classic’s immense scale reflects hundreds of hours of student planning and coordination.

“Students took the lead in working with the university to rent out spaces within the Busch Student Center, and in coordinating broadcasts, managing partnerships with vendors, and welcoming players from all over the country,” Kapiko said. “They’ve learned what it takes to put on a major event by actually doing it.”

Kapiko serves as a mentor and advisor to students in Rutgers’ esports community, offering guidance while giving them the space to lead. That balance, he said, is key to the students’ self-development and career preparation.

“It’s the students who are building teams, solving problems, and learning how to work together under real pressure,” he said.

Leading the Organization

At the center of that effort is Patrick Masuda, president of the Rutgers Esports Club and the primary event lead for the Scarlet Classic. An Information Technology and Informatics major, Masuda began with the Esports Club as a member of its broadcasting team, organizing live casts of competitive games.

He spent much of the past academic year overseeing the many student teams that made the Scarlet Classic possible, while giving team leaders the freedom to coordinate committees, manage timelines, communicate with campus partners, and making sure the various details came together.

“There are so many moving parts,” Masuda said. “You’re checking in with directors, making sure deadlines are met, working with advisors, staying in touch with the team leaders responsible for room setups, internet access, and other logistics. All while letting those students take the lead and not micromanaging them. It’s a lot for all of us, and it’s incredibly rewarding.”

Masuda credits the experience with helping him develop skills in leadership, communication, and adaptability, which he plans to carry into a future career in higher education.

Building Community through Marketing and PR

Ashley Lin, a Business major, has found a professional proving ground and a welcoming community at the Rutgers Esports Center. She has served the Rutgers Esports Club and the Scarlet Classic team as both HR director and marketing director, roles that put her at the heart of the community’s culture and visibility.

“With HR, my goal is to foster a welcoming environment for everyone who steps up to help run our activities. The team did the same for me when I was a new volunteer. And with marketing, I’m able to support our media production, graphics, and social media teams as they do their amazing work.” For the Scarlet Classic, Lin’s teams organized the event’s Artists Alley, a mini-convention within the event that functioned like “a farmers market for people into anime, gaming, and comics,” in which artists sold original works from a few locations in the student center.

“At the Business School, a lot of what I learn is very technical. My esports work builds the soft skills, like communication, organization, and teamwork, that you don’t always get in the classroom,” Lin said.

The Smash Bros. Centerpiece

The two-day Super Smash Bros. tournament has been one of the Scarlet Classic’s biggest draws, requiring a specialized team of student organizers.

John Tran, a Biology major and treasurer for Scarlet Smash, helped raise some $8,000 to support the tournament through entry fees, donations, and fundraising efforts like audience-participation “dare boards.” He also serves on the broadcasting team, helping livestream the Scarlet Classic to thousands of online viewers through a production that includes multiple cameras, live commentary, audio mixing, and player feeds.

“Coordinating with a team, solving problems quickly, and staying calm,” Tran said. “These are skills we learn through this work, and skills we can take anywhere.”

Nicholas Rittweger, a Mechanical Engineering major who oversees tournament operations, joined the Rutgers esports community as a first-year student and has learned how to coordinate live broadcasts, manage tournament brackets, and build relationships with players across North America and beyond.

“It’s an effort that involves public speaking, building relationships, and really every aspect of event management in real time, all for a community that we love,” Rittweger said.

They include Mechanical Engineering major Nicholas Rittweger who, since joining the Rutgers esports community as a first-year student, has learned how to manage tournament brackets, coordinate live broadcasts, and build relationships with players from across North America and beyond.

“Overseeing tournament operations involves advertising, public speaking, building relationships, and really every aspect of event management in real time,” Rittweger said, “and doing it for a community that you love.”

Matty Lasusa, who is earning a Masters in Social Studies Education, served the Smash Bros. tournament in a catch-all position that included tracking registrations and payments, organizing hotel accommodations for competitors traveling to Rutgers, and helping with the coordination of social media promotion and ad campaigns highlighting top-ranked players. He said the experience has helped strengthen communication and organizational skills he will need as a teacher, by requiring him to direct many different teams and responsibilities.

“When things fall through the cracks,” Lasusa said, “it’s my job to bring everyone together and get everyone on the same page. That ability is important whether you’re running a tournament or helping students learn in a classroom.”