The University of California, Irvine’s esports program has announced a partnership with Oakley, a leader in sport performance and optical innovation. During the yearlong partnership, Oakley will provide UCI esports student athletes with eyewear equipped with Prizm™ Gaming Lens Technology. This partnership is the first major sponsorship from a sport performance brand for the university’s 5-year-old esports program.
Oakley will supply the esports athletes with eyewear featuring Prizm Gaming Lens Technology, the brand’s first optical solution developed specifically for gaming. The lenses are built to enhance visual contrast, deliver sharp vision and provide blue-light filtering technology. The gamers will also have access to Oakley’s line of headset-compatible frames, which have thinner temples and are designed for all-day comfort. In addition, UCI gamers will have the opportunity to work with the Oakley Vision Performance Lab to help support the Research & Development teams in creating and testing new product.
“As a world-class brand and Orange County-based company, this is a partnership that benefits both organizations,” said Mark Deppe, director of UCI Esports. “Through this partnership, our athletes and staff will have a hand in developing – and first access to – the best eyewear in gaming.”
“The passion of the gaming community at the grassroots level is beyond inspiring,” said Caio Amato, Oakley’s global brand director. “This partnership expresses Oakley’s commitment to the gaming scene beyond professionals. It allows us to inspire the kids that are there for the love of gaming but dream of great achievements. These students are the present and future of gaming, and our main goal is to equip them with the best eyewear to achieve their highest level of performance.”
“Eye care and health are paramount to success both in game and out of game for our esports scholarship players here at UCI Esports,” said Haylesh Patel, UCI Esports exercise physiologist. “This partnership with a world-class manufacturer of eyewear and apparel helps our athletes to perform at their peak potential.”
VENN TV recently named UCI the No. 1 gaming school, based on team talent, scholarship opportunities and student support. The Anteater esports athletes continue to train remotely for competitions due to COVID-19.
