Ohio Northern University Ada Oh
This summer, ONU announced their eSports team would debut in the fall semester of 2019. They have since secured Head Coach Troy Chiefari and have committed to competing in League of Legends and Overwatch. The institution plans to create both a varsity and a reserve team for both games. Details regarding scholarship opportunities have not yet been released.
I am very excited to start the esports program at Ohio Northern, Chiefari said in a blog post. I have worked with teams at the professional and collegiate levels and am looking forward to working with the young men and women at ONU. My goal is to establish a more;responsible avenue for young adults to pursue esports while also obtaining a college degree for when their competitive playing days end.
The Best College Varsity Esports Programs
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Lourdes University Sylvania Oh
This private liberal arts school in northwest Ohio just recently added eSports to their varsity lineup. Lourdes University President Mary Ann Gawelek has been advocating for the program since she took office at the school last July.
In order to participate in eSports you have to have the mental ability and critical thinking skills to do game-playing in general, you have to have developed the ability to function on a team, and you have to have a competitive nature that drives you toward success It links well with a liberal arts education. Mary Ann Gawelek
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Which Schools Offer Degrees In Esports
| School | |
|---|---|
| University of Texas at Arlington | Arlington |
| Toronto | Ontario |
The year 2019 is on track to become the first billion-dollar year for esports, up 27% since 2018. Global revenues of at least $1.1 billion from advertising, sponsorship, and media rights to competitive video gaming will account for most of the revenue, and by 2021, esports is expected to generate more than $1.6 billion in total revenue with $1.3 billion coming from brand investments.
More than 2,900 esports tournaments have awarded over $119.5 million in prize money in 2019 alone, with more than 17,200 active players competing and top players earning millions. With such tremendous growth in the industry, demand for skilled esports management teams is at an all-time high, with a number of colleges and universities developing degree programs to help meet the demand; University of California Irvine, The Ohio State University and University of Texas are just a few.
Students interested in the management side of esports may earn a bachelors degree in esports management or major in business with a minor or certificate in esports management. Some schools allow students to take on other majors and add a certificate or a minor in esports.
To help you get in on the game, weve compiled a list of 10 colleges with esports degree programs, plus a few honorable mentions. Many of the schools on our list rank among the top schools in the nation, and most have varsity esports teams.
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British Esports Association Partners With Pearsonto Offer Worlds First Btec Qualification In Esports
The British Esports Association, the not-for-profit organisation set up to promote and support grassroots esports, has partnered with global learning company Pearson to create the worlds first qualification of its kind for a career in esports.
The new BTEC qualifications in esports are skills-focused and are a major step forward in supporting the creation of long-term careers in the growing esports industry both in the UK and internationally. The esports industry is projected to generate revenues of $1.1 billion in 2020, a year-on-year growth of +16%, with the total esports audience set to rise 11.7% to 495m individuals, according to Newzoo.
Institutions in the UK and around the world will have the opportunity to offer these new qualifications to students from September 2020, with funding confirmed in the UK from the Education and Skills Funding Agency.
University Of California Los Angeles
UCLA Esports houses teams in LoL, Overwatch, Hearthstone, Smash Ultimate, Rocket League, and Dota 2. They are affiliated with their UCLA Club Sports and Recreation but do not currently offer scholarships. UCLA strives to provide support and infrastructure for their student-athletes. Their primary goals, as of now, is to provide permanent on-campus support, introduce scholarships, create engaging content, and construct a permanent infrastructure dedicated to UCLAs growth in esports. With this, they are number 23.
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Education And Esports: Which Colleges And Universities Are Offering Courses
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Dominic Sacco and Ryan McVean take a look at some of the British academic establishments exploring esports .
With more and more esports jobs cropping up around the world, educational establishments are starting to catch on.
For years, some colleges in North America have been offering scholarships in esports, and now UK colleges and universities are offering esports courses or integrating esports into their existing ones.
More Esports Initiatives Within Education
Other third-parties are looking at getting involved in esports courses in the UK to help train up and coming talent.
And theres the brilliant;Digital Schoolhouse tournament by UK games industry trade body Ukie.
The Princes Trust also backed an esports workshop course dedicated on teaching skills through esports. This helped unemployed young adults learn new skills and access new opportunities. The group behind it,;EOB Esports Academy, is doing more in the esports space too.
Then theres the;National University Esports League , a group focused on bringing nationwide varsity competition to the UK, holding national championships for many top games including League of legends and Counter-Strike, and;National Student Esports , which launched in April 2018 and is also hosting university esports tournaments.
In 2020, the Association for Continuing Education in Esports emerged to provide a link to industry and also academic research in this space.
Have we missed anyone? Are you from an educational establishment or a company looking at esports? Please let us know by emailing;;and well add you to this article
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Playing video games in college is no longer relegated to dorm rooms. Over the past decade, collegiate eSports have dramatically grown in popularity, with the best college eSports programs boasting lucrative sponsorships and offering funding to student-athletes.
The following ranking looks at what 15 of the best college eSports programs offer to incoming students. These collegiate eSports programs maintain competitive teams, provide resources that enhance school communities, and boost career opportunities.
All of the schools on this list operate varsity eSports programs that are both competitive for prospective players and within their respective leagues. We considered the quality of school gaming facilities, campus community engagement, and access to eSports scholarships.
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How Do I Get An Esports Scholarship
As college eSports have become more and more common over the last decade, so too has the availability of scholarships for talented, varsity-level gamers. Like other popular college sports, varsity eSports receive funding through sponsorship deals, and those dollars often funnel into program scholarships.
To earn a scholarship, gamers need to stand out. Preparing and training with a purpose and actively participating in live competitions prior to tryouts are a must. Research collegiate programs to learn about requirements and expectations. Making contact with schools and cultivating relationships with coaches and staff can also prove beneficial.
University Of Mount Union Alliance Oh
The eSports team at Mount Union will officially convene in the fall of 2019. Scholarships will be available, but the school has not yet released further details and hasnt said which games will be played. The institution emphasizes holistic development in students and requires that eSports competitors participate in at least on other campus organization along with community service activities.
Our goal is to be a competitive force in the realm of collegiate esports, said Ron Holden, assistant dean of students and director of diversity and inclusion at Mount Union, in a press release. Players will enhance skills utilized and developed in gaming such as teamwork, communication, problem-solving and leadership. These skills are directly transferable to the careers of tomorrow. Its very exciting that Mount Union is not only embracing this aspect of todays culture, but we also providing scholarship opportunities to support earning a college degree.
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These 8 Colleges Will Debut Esports Teams And Scholarships In 2019
By Henry Kronk
2018 is nearing to a close. Throughout the past 10 months, varsity level eSportsand accompanying scholarshipshave gone from novelty to old news. As of November, the National Association of College eSports , the sports collegiate governing body, counts 109 members. This year has seen a surge of adoption and shows no sign of slowing down. Below, you can find eight schools that will launch their eSports teams on the varsity level in 2019.
The history of eSports is already decades old, but the popularity of current tournaments dates to anywhere from the mid aughts to just a year or two ago. Popular competitions typically involve games like League of Legends, Overwatch, Fortnite, Hearthstone, Paladins, Call of Duty, and Smite.
Whether its music, sports, art, competitive stacking, or any other hobbyeverything changes when money enters the scene. And eSports fans and players have been the beneficiaries of a good deal of money since competitions began taking off in popularity in the mid aughts.
Play College Esports At Snhu
At Southern New Hampshire University, you don’t just play video games – you compete. Whether you can hold your own in Valorant, destroy the nexus on Summoners Rift or dominate in the Rocket League arena, joining our esports team is an opportunity to hone your gaming skills and compete against varsity level opponents.
We are proud to be one of the first schools in New England to offer competitive college esports as an associate member of the East Coast Conference . This gives our esports team the ability to compete in local, regional and national competitions.
The SNHU esports program currently fields teams for:
- League of Legends
- Super Smash Bros Ultimate
- Valorant
Think you have what it takes to compete at the national level on SNHU’s esports team? Take our recruitment survey to get started.
Not interested in competing but still want to level up your gaming skills? No problem. We hold intramural esports leagues and community events for SNHU students all throughout the year. Visit our community Discord to connect with hundreds of other SNHU students and play some games.
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Esports Have Demonstrated Financial And Career
eSports entered the college arena in 2014 when the pioneering Robert Morris University formed its first varsity team. A spot on the squad earns players scholarships of up to 50% of tuition and room and board. A trickle of other institutions soon followed. That trickle has since turned into a stream of small and mid-sized institutions. Since the NACE formed in July of 2016, it has administered over $9 million in eSports scholarships.
In addition to institutional kickbacks, players are also set up to enter any of the dozens of eSports tournaments held around the world, many of which offer five- and six-figure cash prizes. Successful players, therefore, have the ability to earn a tidy sum from competition prizes. Numerous other monetization avenues, such as endorsements or popularity on Twitch, can bring in further revenue. Unsuccessful players still have a foot in the door of an industry that is already growing rapidly.
From a financial point of view, in other words, eSports players arent just sitting in front of a gaming system all day twiddling their controllers. While many still split hairs over the definition of sport, collegiate eSports have more than proven their legitimacy.;
Applicants for the 2019-2020 school year will have the ability to try out for teams and earn scholarships for the first time at the following institutions.
University Of North Texas
It is home to 3 esports programs in Overwatch, League of Legends, and Rocket League. During the Spring 2021 Season of Rocket League, their team placed 3rd. Also, like Ohio State, the University of North Texas made it into the top 16 for Overwatch this year. Currently, the school does not offer any official esports scholarships but does give out scholarships to players based on their performance in tournaments.
UNTs campus flaunts an esports facility which was a $200,000 project in cooperation with the schools media library and is open to all students. While not many occupational programs, UNT engages with community events. The next big event is a Dorm Clash in which freshmen dorm teams will compete in a Rocket League tournament. With that being said, North Texas is our number 15.
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Park University Kansas City Mo
Beginning this spring, Park will debut a new gaming facility and field a League of Legends team. Scholarships will also be available to the tune of about $3,000. The 6-figure investment in the program has been funded in part by a $10 per-credit-hour tech fee that Park students agreed to pay. As Park VP and COO Shane Smeed told the Kansas City Star, It is big We see us adding more teams as we go. The sky is the limit.
Why Are College Varsity Esports A Big Deal
The NACE website quotes an article in the issue of ESPN The Magazine, which said that 27 million people watched the 2014 championship tournament for League of Legends.
DOTA 2 pulled 20 million viewers in 2014.
Those are impressive numbers without context.
Theyre even more impressive when you consider the viewership for other major sporting events that year: 5 million watched the National Hockey Leagues Stanley Cup Finals. The World Series had 13.8 million. The NBA Finals had 15.5 million.
Clearly, professional esports is already a big deal.
The growing popularity of college varsity esports is not just great for the future of professional esports and gaming in general .
College varsity esports is another avenue in which colleges can attract students, celebrate the diversity of interests on campus, and invest money to benefit more of their student body.
With esports, a little investing goes a long way.
Esports training facilities are more affordable than regular sports training facilities. And, with the right sponsors, some programs dont have to worry about supplying the gaming chairs, or high-end computers, or other gear.
And an esports training facility doesnt need a new, state-of-the-art million-dollar building. Many schools recommission old rooms that arent seeing much use. They gut it, spruce it up, and fill it with gaming gear.
Boom, theres your varsity esports training facility.
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Esports Beyond American Colleges Are Growing Just As Fast
The above mark just a few of the institutions that have joined the NACE so far this year. More will likely follow before the 2019 spring and fall seasons commence. The above, furthermore, focuses only on U.S. college-level eSports. Numerous international programs are springing up, like at the University of Roehampton in the U.K. and at Queensland University of Technology in Australia.
In U.S. high schools, local teams are springing up across the country. Rogue recently announced a Fortnite mentorship program for emerging high school gamers.
Despite this growth, the sport still has a hill to climb before it reaches widespread acceptance. A few general barriers stand in the way. The first would be cultural/parental acceptance. Many still view gaming as a waste of time.
If one compares it in a vacuum to a pastime like amateur carpentry, that conclusion might hold water. But the fact is that this industry is growing at a breakneck pace and is already hard-pressed to fill positions like team coaches, competition hosts, event promoters, and more.
The loudest voices of dissent tend to come from parents. As Elise Hou, former president of her high school eSports team, told;Dot Esports,;In order for high school esports to get big, these parents need to show other parents that there is a future in esports and they should represent that. You have to show parents that even after being a professional gamer, there are so many opportunities for you to work in the industry.