Tampa School Opens Esports and Broadcast Facility

Hillsborough County Public Schools unveiled a new gaming and broadcast production space at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in eSports

Hillsborough County Public Schools opened an esports and broadcast production facility at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa on Thursday, with WWE performer Titus O'Neil at the ribbon-cutting. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Hillsborough County Public Schools opened an esports and broadcast production facility at Sligh Middle Magnet School on Thursday. WWE performer Titus O'Neil helped unveil the facility at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Why it matters

The facility is intended to support career and technical education, giving students in the Tampa area hands-on experience with gaming and broadcast technology. The district expects the program to emphasize communication, teamwork, leadership and problem-solving.

The facility features a 22-foot-by-8-foot LED display, which uses technology associated with virtual production. The school district did not disclose the total cost of the project.

The players

Hillsborough County Public Schools

The Hillsborough County school district serves the Tampa area and is the public education system that partnered on the facility.

Titus O'Neil

Titus O'Neil is a professional wrestler who performs for WWE and helped unveil the new facility at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Thaddeus Bullard

Thaddeus Bullard is the founder and leader of the Bullard Family Foundation, which partnered on the project and is associated with the Bullard Academy.

The details

The facility includes gaming computers, a broadcast control room and a 22-foot-by-8-foot LED display, and is part of the Thaddeus M. Bullard Academy. Hillsborough County Public Schools, the Bullard Family Foundation and several private technology companies partnered on the project, with CDW-G coordinating work alongside Horizon AVL and Esports Integration.

Thursday: Facility opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Sligh Middle Magnet School in Tampa.

Season Trajectory

School-based esports programs are becoming a formal route into the broader gaming and broadcast industries, using the same production tools professionals rely on. The Tampa project pairs Unreal Engine with an LED virtual production display, linking classroom training to commercial production pipelines.

Students in the Hillsborough County school system gain access to gaming computers, a broadcast control room and LED production equipment through the Sligh Middle Magnet School program. The district's emphasis on communication, teamwork and leadership gives participating students practical skills applicable to careers in production and competitive gaming.

The takeaway

School-based esports programs can build technical and teamwork skills that connect directly to careers in broadcast and gaming production. Students interested in the field can look for similar hands-on programs at their own schools.