From Classroom to Ballpark: UAlbany Students Bring Game Design Skills to the Tri-City ValleyCats
By Mike Nolan
ALBANY, N.Y. (May 7, 2026) — This semester, undergraduate students in the University at Albany’s Department of Information Sciences & Technology put their game design skills to the test — on the baseball field.
In GDD 458, a capstone game design and development course developed and taught by Jennifer Goodall, vice dean of UAlbany’s College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, students collaborated with the Tri-City ValleyCats to create interactive games for fans to enjoy during home games.
The Tri-City ValleyCats are a professional baseball team based in Troy, N.Y., and one of the Capital Region’s main summer sports destinations.
Working in small teams, students spent the semester researching, designing and testing unique in-stadium games aligned with ValleyCats theme nights. The class toured Joseph L. Bruno Stadium and pitched their game concepts directly to team staff last month.
“My family spends many summer nights at the ValleyCats, and I was getting a little tired of always seeing the same in-between inning games,” said Goodall. “That’s when I decided to reach out and let them know we have this great new game design program and eager students who can bring fresh ideas. It was the perfect match.”
"There were some incredibly creative and innovative pitches that students threw at us as part of this course," added ValleyCats Communications & Marketing Manager Ben Meyers. "The ValleyCats are dedicated to winning on the field, of course, but creating a fun and dynamic fan experience is a critical piece of what we do too, and seeing the new approaches at fusing those was fantastic."
Real-World Pitching
The course, which met on Thursday afternoons in UAlbany’s ETEC building, tasked students with designing concourse activities and fast-paced between-inning games for fans.
Student teams focused on pitching promotion night concepts, complete with themed food, trivia, and special activities woven throughout the evening.
Outside of group work, each student created two between-inning games — fast, simple, kid-friendly activities lasting no more than 45 seconds and requiring minimal equipment.
David Finch, a senior informatics student concentrating in game design, helped develop a “College Night” concept featuring a tug-of-war contest between mascots from area colleges and universities.
“Anything game related I’m on board for, so hearing that we were actually working with a real client and presenting physical games, not just video games like we usually do in class, intrigued me right away,” Finch said. “It’s been a great opportunity to network and pitch my ideas outside the classroom.”
Junior informatics major Ramon Rivera, who minors in game design and development, pitched a game called “Wieners War,” in which condiment characters, like ketchup, mustard and relish, compete to be placed on a hot dog first.
“My favorite part about this class was that we were not just stuck behind a computer screen,” Rivera said. “It was hands-on and exciting to see the reactions and laughter to our ideas when we pitched them. It gave me a new perspective on what goes into designing a game.”
Future Game Industry Leaders
Last fall, UAlbany’s Department of Information Sciences & Technology launched a Bachelor of Science in Game Design and Development and a Master of Science in Strategic Game Design and Applied Development — the first graduate program focused on gaming in the SUNY system.
The programs arrived as the gaming industry continues to grow, including in the Capital Region. A report from the Center for Economic Growth found the region now hosts 20 gaming studios, employing more than 500 workers. This includes large studios such as Blizzard Entertainment, Velan Studios and WB Games New York, as well as multiple other companies that provide gaming services.
Goodall says their curriculum emphasizes both digital and physical games, with experiential learning at its core.
“One of the things that we find very important for our students is that they have time to work professionally,” Goodall said. “For some students that means internships, but that’s not for everybody. We want to find other avenues, like this class, that still provide those important professional interactions.”
After presenting their pitches, the student concepts will now have a real chance of being featured during the 2026 season, which opens May 15, as well in future years.
The class also recently shared their game ideas at Showcase 2026, the University at Albany’s annual celebration of student research, scholarship and creative activity, with ValleyCats staff in attendance.