Full Sail University is proud to have served as the host site and production partner for NBA 2K League’s 2024 Draft this January. The event, hosted at Full Sail Live and streamed to more than 20,000 viewers across Twitch and YouTube, featured appearances by draft prospects, returning NBA 2K League players, social media influencers, and more.

The Orlando Magic Beatz Drumline kicked off the show, building anticipation in the venue as players awaited to hear which teams would be picking them up for the 2024 competitive season.

The Orlando Magic Beat Drumline on stage during the show’s opening.

“For us, it's like how do we unlock the next level of esports? How do we make our events not just about the game, but the cultural experience and make sure you walk away with memories,” said Full Sail University graduate and Senior Director of Events and Productions for NBA 2K League TJ Canty who brought the event to Full Sail.

Complete with an official NBA 2K League custom player card-creation booth, a pop-up barbershop, and custom sneaker painting, the event transformed the venue through TJ’s vision. Draft prospects and their families enjoyed luxe seating and an award-show atmosphere, celebrating their high-level performance in the popular basketball video game franchise.

NBA 2K League CEO Andrew Perlmutter joined players live in the venue to announce select picks while teams from across the league – including Orlando’s own Magic Gaming – joined via live stream to announce which players would be joining their rosters for the 2024 season.

Orlando Magic mascot Stuff shares Magic Gaming’s draft picks during the show.

Working with the team at Full Sail to help bring the event to life, TJ shared why Full Sail’s industry-standard facilities served as a perfect location for the show, saying: “The Full Sail facilities far exceeded our expectations. This is the second event I was able to bring back to campus, and it was even better than the first. I was proud that I was able to add my flair to it and touch in terms of the layout, but even before we loaded in our activations and furniture, it's a phenomenal space to be in.”

For TJ, one of the biggest highlights of the event wasn’t an element of the show, but instead came in the form of a last-minute hire.

“The day before the event, we needed a production assistant, and we were able to hire another Full Sail grad. We brought him in last minute [and he had] little to no information of what was going on. [But,] being a Full Sail grad, he jumped in and picked up on everything almost immediately. Because he had that sort of real-world experience.”

NBA 2K League’s contribution to life on Full Sail’s campus also included a special scholarship presentation during the live show. Full Sail University student and student-event crew member Jordyn Fobes was awarded a $7,500 scholarship on behalf of the NBA 2K League in recognition of her commitment, focus, and success in her studies.