What Schools Have Esports Teams?
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Do you love playing video games? What if you could get paid to do it? That’s where esports comes in. But what schools have esports teams? Read on to find out.
Introduction
We often get asked “What schools have esports teams?”
The answer to that question is constantly changing, as more and more schools recognize the growing popularity of esports and invest in creating teams of their own. As of right now, there are over 150 colleges and universities in the United States alone with varsity esports programs.
The kind of school that has an esports team can vary widely as well. There are large public universities, like the University of Utah, who have been early adopters of the scene. There are also small private schools, like Robert Morris University in Illinois, which was one of the first colleges to offer scholarships for esports athletes.
Of course, it’s not just traditional brick-and-mortar schools getting in on the action. We’ve seen a surge in the number of online colleges with esports programs as well, such as UC Irvine Extension and Full Sail University. These programs offer students a flexible way to compete at a high level while also pursuing their studies.
So if you’re wondering which schools have esports teams, the answer is that there are far too many to list here! But we’ve compiled a comprehensive directory of all the college Esports programs we could find, which you can browse through here: ____
UCI
UCI is home to one of the most competitive and successful collegiate esports programs in North America. Our student-athletes compete at the highest level and are supported by a dedicated coaching staff, state-of-the-art facilities, and academic resources.
As a result of our commitment to excellence, UCI is widely recognized as a leader in collegiate esports. In 2018, we became the first university to offer scholarships for esports athletes, and we currently have the largest esports program in the world with over 60 athletes competing across 11 games.
We are proud to offer our student-athletes the opportunity to pursue their passion for gaming while receiving an outstanding education at UCI.
UC Berkeley
According to The Berkeley Beacon, UC Berkeley’s first esports team was started in 2016 by a group of friends who loved playing the game “Overwatch.” The team originally started as a club sport, but after finding success and winning various tournaments, they decided to make it an official varsity sport. As of 2019, the UC Berkeley esports team has over 60 members and competes in games such as “League of Legends,” “Overwatch,” and “Rainbow Six Siege.”
UC Santa Cruz
UC Santa Cruz is one of the many colleges with an esports team. Their team, the UCSC Esports Club, is a part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). The UCSC Esports Club was founded in 2017 and competes in games such as Overwatch, League of Legends, and Rocket League.
UC San Diego
UC San Diego currently sponsors 11 varsity esports teams that compete in games such as “Overwatch,” “League of Legends,” and “Hearthstone.” UCSD’s esports teams are a part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE).
UC Irvine
UC Irvine offers students the chance to compete in esports at the collegiate level. The school’s team is a member of the Tespa organization, and it competes in games like Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm. If you’re interested in joining UC Irvine’s esports team, you can fill out an application on the school’s website.
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Barbara: The university’s officially recognized esports team is the UCSB Burning Blue, which was formed in 2016. The team consists of students who compete in a variety of video games, including “League of Legends,” “Overwatch,” and “Hearthstone.”
UC Riverside
UC Riverside is one of the few schools in the country with an esports team that is a varsity sport. The team is part of the university’s Department of Athletics and has been competing since 2017. The team competes in League of Legends, Overwatch, and Hearthstone.
UCLA
UCLA has an official competitive gaming team that represents the university in various tournaments and events. The team is open to all students, regardless of skill level or experience.
CSU Long Beach
CSU Long Beach has an esports team that competes in games such as League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League. The team is a part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and belongs to the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC).
CSU Dominguez Hills
CSU Dominguez Hills competes in the Mountain West Esports Conference (MWEC) and offers scholarships for its League of Legends, Overwatch, and Hearthstone teams. The university also has an esports arena on campus that is open to all students.
Conclusion
Based on the survey data, it seems that a majority of esports teams are found in North America, with Europe and Asia coming in second and third, respectively. This is likely due to the fact that the industry is still relatively new and most of the big tournaments are held in these regions. That being said, there are a few schools in other parts of the world that have teams, so the popularity of esports is definitely growing.
As for which schools have teams, it seems that they vary quite a bit in terms of size, location, and type. There are large public schools, small private schools, and even a few community colleges that have teams. This shows that anyone can get involved in esports if they want to.
If you’re interested in starting an esports team at your school, there’s no need to be discouraged if you don’t see any other schools in your area with teams. You can be the pioneer and help get things started. It may take some time and effort to get things going, but it’ll be worth it when you see your team succeed.
