EA Sports Facility Coming To LSU Campus

LSU and video game designer Electronic Arts are teaming for a new $30 million research facility. The project is set to be built on the southeast corner of LSU's Baton Rouge campus. Chancellor Mike Martin says this is an opportunity to expand the Digital Media program and benefit the the state. Construction is set to begin this summer and the facility should be open by fall of 2012. Martin says the expectation is that the community will become a center for digital entertainment. He says the 94,000 square foot project is largely funded by the state. He says the majority of the new facility will be university space. EA's sports division is best known for its Madden NFL football game. Martin says this will give hundreds of students an opportunity to earn an income testing and developing games. He says they expect this program to grow in a big way.