What Is Collegiate Esports?

Collegiate esports is a form of organized competitive video gaming between colleges and universities. It is similar to traditional sports, but with a focus on video games.

What is Collegiate Esports?

Collegiate esports is a form of competitive video gaming that is sanctioned by colleges and universities. Many colleges and universities offer esports programs and varsity teams that compete against other colleges in organized leagues and tournaments. Games commonly played in collegiate esports include League of Legends, Overwatch, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Collegiate esports offers students an opportunity to compete in a structured and competitive environment.

Defining Collegiate Esports

Collegiate esports generally refers to video game competitions that are organized and sanctioned by colleges and universities. These competitions usually take the form of organized leagues or tournaments that feature student players from different schools.

The games played in collegiate esports competitions can vary, but some of the most popular include League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, and Rocket League. While many of these games are traditionally considered to be “esports,” or competitive video games, some colleges and universities are now beginning to add more traditional sports games to their esports offerings as well, such as NCAA Football and NBA 2K.

Collegiate esports has seen a significant increase in popularity in recent years, with more colleges and universities adding varsity esports programs and offering scholarships to students who compete in these competitions. According to recent estimates, there are now over 400 collegiate varsity esports programs in the United States alone.

While the exact origins of collegiate esports are disputed, one of the earliest recorded competitions took place in 1972 between Stanford University and MIT. This competition featured a single game of Spacewar, and was won by Stanford.

Since then, collegiate esports has grown significantly in both size and scope. In 2014, the Collegiate StarLeague (CSL) announced that it had awarded over $1 million in scholarships and prize money to its participants. And in 2016, the first-ever intercollegiate varsity esports program was launched at the University of Pikeville in Kentucky.

Since then, the popularity of collegiate esports has only continued to grow. In 2019, ESPN announced that it would be televising multiple collegiate esports competitions on its networks, further increasing the visibility of this growing competitive scene.

The History of Collegiate Esports

Collegiate esports has a long and rich history, dating back to the early days of organized competitive gaming. The first known intercollegiate esports match took place in 1972 between Stanford and Berkeley, two of the leading universities in the burgeoning tech industry. In the ensuing years, collegiate esports would grow steadily in popularity, with more and more schools fielding teams and hosting competitions.

Today, collegiate esports is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the competitive gaming world. There are now over a thousand colleges and universities with varsity esports programs, spanning every level of competition from casual club play to the highest echelons of professional gaming. And with the recent explosion in popularity ofbattle royale games like Fortnite and Apex Legends, collegiate esports is only poised to become even more popular in the years to come.

The Benefits of Collegiate Esports

Collegiate esports offer many benefits to its participants, including the opportunity to improve one’s game skills, form new friendships, and earn scholarships. Some colleges even offer varsity esports teams which compete against other colleges in various games. Let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits of collegiate esports.

Improved Communication and Teamwork

Collegiate esports offers several potential benefits for students, such as improved communication and teamwork skills, increased collaboration, and a sense of community.

Deseret News reports that students who participate in esports learn to communicate better. “Because video gaming requires quick decision-making and strategic thinking, players learn how to operate effectively as a team,” according to the news outlet.

In fact, a 2019 study by the Education Commission of the States found that “students who participated in esports saw improvements in teamwork, communication, problem-solving and other social skills.”

Similarly, a 2018 study published in Computers in Human Behavior found that people who play video games have better teamwork skills than those who don’t play video games. The study also found that gamers are more likely to cooperate with others and have better collaborative skills.

Enhanced Leadership Skills

Collegiate esports can provide students with the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills. Serving in a leadership capacity on an esports team can help students learn how to manage people, delegate tasks, and solve problems. These are skills that can be transferred to any number of future careers.

Increased Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem

Esports can offer many benefits to students, including increased self-confidence and self-esteem. Through gaming, students can learn how to set and achieve goals, strategize, think critically, and more. These skills can transfer to other areas of life, such as schoolwork and careers. In addition, esports can help students feel more connected to their peers and build social skills.

Improved Problem-Solving Skills

In addition to the social benefits discussed above, there are also many cognitive benefits to collegiate esports. One of the most significant cognitive benefits is improved problem-solving skills. Research has shown that playing video games can improve problem-solving skills, and this is especially true for military strategy games like StarCraft.

Collegiate esports teams often have to solve complex problems under pressure, such as how to best utilize their team’s strengths to defeat their opponents. This type of problem-solving requires quick thinking, creative solutions, and teamwork. By playing in collegiate esports tournaments, students can hone these problem-solving skills and become better prepared for other challenges in their lives.

There are also many other cognitive benefits to playing video games, including improved memory, increased attention span, and better multitasking skills. These benefits are all relevant to collegiate esports players and can help them perform better in both academics and esports competitions.

Greater Engagement with School

Engagement with school is one of the main benefits of collegiate esports. Studies have shown that students who are more engaged with their school are more likely to succeed academically and have better social and emotional outcomes.

Collegiate esports provides students with a way to connect with their school and feel like they are part of a community. For many students, being on an esports team is a way to make friends and feel connected to their school.

In addition to the social benefits, being on an esports team can also help students academically. Studies have shown that students who are more engaged with their school are more likely to succeed academically. Being on an esports team can help students develop time management, teamwork, and communication skills that are important for success in school and in life.

The Future of Collegiate Esports

Collegiate esports has been around for quite a few years now, with early pioneers like Robert Morris University Illinois leading the charge. Collegiate esports offers students the chance to compete in organized video game competitions for scholarships and prizing, much like traditional sports. With the backing of organizations like the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and the recent inclusion of esports as an official medal sport in the 2022 Asian Games, it’s safe to say that collegiate esports is here to stay.

The Growth of Collegiate Esports

The growth of collegiate esports over the last few years has been nothing short of explosive. According to the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the number of colleges and universities with varsity esports programs grew from just a handful in 2016 to over 170 in 2019. This trend is only expected to continue, with NACE projecting that there will be over 300 varsity programs by 2022.

There are a number of factors driving this rapid growth. For one, the popularity of esports among young people has skyrocketed in recent years. According to a report from the Entertainment Software Association, 42% of American teenagers now consider themselves gamers.

What’s more, colleges and universities are starting to recognize the potential of esports to engage students and drive retention rates. A 2019 survey by ACT found that nearly 60% of college admissions officers believe that involvement in esports can positively impact admissions decisions.

Finally, there is an increasing amount of money flowing into collegiate esports. Over the last few years, a number of high-profile investors have poured millions of dollars into the space, and many colleges and universities are now offering scholarships to students who compete in esports.

All of these factors are coming together to create a perfect storm for the continued growth of collegiate esports programs. As more schools launch programs and invest more resources into them, the ecosystem surrounding collegiate esports will continue to grow and evolve.

The Impact of Collegiate Esports

Collegiate esports is still a relatively new phenomenon, but it is growing rapidly. In 2016, there were 43 varsity programs in the United States. By 2018, that number had jumped to over 150. And by 2020, it is expected that there will be over 500 varsity collegiate esports programs.

The impact of collegiate esports cannot be understated. These programs are giving talented gamers the opportunity to compete at the highest level and earn scholarships for their skills. They are also providing a path to careers in the gaming industry for those who may not have had one before.

In addition to the positive impact on individual gamers, collegiate esports also has the potential to transform the gaming industry as a whole. As more and more colleges and universities invest in esports programs, the industry will become more legitimized in the eyes of the mainstream public. This could lead to increased investment from sponsors and more opportunities for professional gamers.

The future of collegiate esports is bright. It is an inclusive and supportive community that is only going to grow in popularity in the years to come.