The rise of esports on the college campus

Esports is no longer just a hobby—it’s a booming industry making its mark on college campuses nationwide. With competitive gaming growing in popularity, universities are embracing esports not only as an outlet for students but also as a pathway to careers in sports management.

According to a study done by EdTech Magazine, more than 200 colleges in the United States now have varsity level esports teams, using them both as a recruitment tool and an avenue for student engagement.

This number is also on the rise at the high school level, with the National Education Association reporting that more than 8,600 high schools have started competitive gaming teams.

With esports rising at multiple levels of education, more universities are offering degrees concerning esports, teaching students how to navigate the management of this fast-growing sport.

One such minor has been offered this year at Southeast Missouri State University, teaching students esports marketing and league management.

Esports at SEMO

Beverly Evans, a professor in the sports management department, oversees the esports minor. She says the program’s first semester has been well received by the student body.

“[It’s going] surprisingly well. It starts slow, as all things do, because it's new. We're just thankful to have the word beginning to get out, and people want to take our classes. Some aren't necessarily esports minors, but they're looking at the classes and thinking, this sounds interesting,” Evans said.

Evans also said that the newness has led to heightened interest from students throughout the United States.

“It's new and fresh and it's exciting. It's exciting to get in on the ground floor when something's taking off. People who are gamers that only play when they get off their nine-to-five job, they don't have to just play games when they get off. They can be part of it like anybody wants to be part of sport management,” Evans said.

Career potential in esports

A common misconception about esports, according to Evans, is that students often don’t realize the vast career opportunities within the industry — particularly in event organization and business management.

“They don't know there are people out there making lots of money in esports. These events bring in tons of money. It's not just playing video games in your grandma's basement,” Evans said.

She highlighted the increasing professionalism within the industry, noting that esports now involves areas like nutrition, teamwork development, strategic thinking, and communication.

“We’re harnessing those for our athletes to be successful, for our brands to be successful, and for your career to be successful, if we can harness, if they understand, all these little intricacies,” Evans said.

One major example of esports’ global reach was the League of Legends World Championship which occurred from Sept. 25 to Nov. 2, at the O2 arena in London. The event drew 20,000 in-person viewers, and an additional 6.94 million viewers via livestream.

Esports Skills: Transferable and Valuable

Evans emphasized that the skills students gain in the esports minor are not limited to gaming careers—they are valuable across multiple industries.

“The skills, like any profession, (are) teaching you how to be professional, teaching you the technical skills to work behind the scenes, and to put on an event. It takes the logistics and the critical thinking that you need to to have an event,” Evans said. “If you're going to work for somebody and you have these marketing skills, you're going to be an asset to them. So if this doesn't become your career path, taking these classes, you can use these skills in any business you go to.”

Evans said the future of esports is bright, with the value and demand for the skills of esports management and marketing continuing to grow with the popularity of the sport itself.

“I think it's going to continue to grow, and parents see that their kids can have a future by learning these skills. They have a future. Somewhere they can go. There's value in the skills being taught. As that becomes more mainstream, I think more people will be accepting of it,” Evans said.

For more information about the esports minor, contact the department of Allied Health, Kinesiology, & Sport Sciences through email at alliedhealth@semo.edu.