The esports industry has seen exponential growth in the last few years. Global professional tournaments and multi-million-dollar prize offerings have elevated esports to the same lofty heights as traditional sports, where anyone with talent and grit can create a career for themselves. The question that follows is simple: how can we make grand gaming events more accessible for the average gamer?
As a longtime supporter of outrageous and unconventional sports, Red Bull seeks to answer that question with their Back to Base conference. Student leaders from across the country gathered at Red Bull’s Santa Monica headquarters from August 5th-8th for a chance to discuss innovation in the world of collegiate esports.
In June of 2025, Red Bull extended an invitation for this flagship event to OU Esports and Co-Curricular Innovation, and there was no one better to represent the Sooners than Competition Lead and head coach of the Valorant team, John “Popcorn” Morgan.
“I didn’t think I would be the one representing OU,” Morgan said. “Red Bull wanted more of a community-sided person, initially, but they appreciated the competitive perspective, and it really helped me as well.”
Morgan’s day-to-day duties with OU ECCI include supporting the Competition Coordinator, Josh “Thumper” Riesenberg, by running tryouts, communicating with teams, and organizing the master roster of team members. His managerial experience and knowledge of esports’ inner workings proved useful during the brainstorming sessions at Red Bull HQ.
“We had these giant poster boards, probably 12 to 16 of them, that were completely full of ideas on sticky notes,” Morgan recounted. “They wanted us to pitch our craziest ideas. Money was not an issue, and no idea was too small. And they kept every single sticky note we made.”
The goal was to create an esports event that encouraged friendly competition, created campus-wide excitement and leveraged the Red Bull brand for support. The upcoming Dubai Tetris tournament served as inspiration for how far the energy drink company was willing to go. After some high-octane brainstorming, Popcorn and company struck gold.
“They have these shipping containers that have been refitted into portable gaming lounges,” Morgan explained. “One of the ideas we pitched was similar to the Sooner Dojo Series we do on campus, but on a larger scale. Red Bull could bring the shipping containers to the Texas State Fair, which is where they host Red River Rivalry every year, and we could run a giant LAN tournament between OU and Texas.”
The Red Bull representatives were very intrigued by this event and assured them that, from the logistical side, there was nothing they couldn’t handle. Stay on the lookout for this event in the next few years.
When they weren’t shaping the future of collegiate esports, Red Bull treated their representatives to a true adventure: gourmet meals from top-quality restaurants, a tour of Santa Monica punctuated by a walk down picturesque Venice Beach, and perhaps the greatest treat of all, a tour of Riot Games HQ.
Looking ahead, Morgan plans to continue connecting the competition and community sides of collegiate esports at OU and beyond, armed with his insights from Back to Base. He is hopeful that the success of the inaugural conference will provide more opportunities to his peers and push the message that OU ECCI wears proudly on its sleeve: “Gaming is for everyone.”
