Why eSports belongs on a college campus
Sam Rand
“League of Legends” drew in over 102 million viewers for their world championship last year, beating out the likes of the NFL’s Super Bowl and the MBA’s Final Four. It’s obvious why these games capture massive viewing numbers — with a prize pool of over $30 million, the International Dota 2 Championship event is just one of the many competitions offering big payouts to players.
What is eSports?
eSports is a form of sport competition using video games. It often takes the form of organized, multiplayer competitions, particularly between professional individuals or teams. In some games, players compete solo, challenging another opponent to be the first to finish a specific goal or best them in one-on-one competition. Other games require immense levels of teamwork to conquer an opposing team by capturing a base, destroying the enemy or outplaying them over a series of matches.
Instead of traditional sports equipment, computer hardware and components are used to do battle. Entire companies have been established to cater to the eSports audience. Brands like HyperX, Razer and Alienware are some of the most popular and have become highly profitable over the past decade. Computer keyboards, mice, headsets and other peripherals are all tailored to the individual playstyle of the gamer.
Are these players athletes?
Mark Cuban, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, Stephen Curry and the late Kobe Bryant all had some sort of investment in eSports, whether it was in teams, athletes or companies surrounding the industry.
On top of those legends of sport, the United States Government now recognizes eSports players as athletes. P-1 immigration visas are now being issued to players who are coming to the U.S. to represent America on the world stage in eSports.
Obviously, the eSport athletes do not endure as much physical training as traditional athletes do, however, the mental toughness needed to compete is on par with chess grandmasters and the professional poker players you see on ESPN. The eSports athletes do not fit into the definition in the traditional sense, however, this sport is not traditional. It is something entirely new, that is growing at a pace no one could have anticipated. So, for now, the brand “athlete” is seeming to stick, until a better categorizing term comes along.
You can’t make a living playing video games …
In the old days, absolutely not, regardless of how good at Pac-Man you were. The most you would get from your talents was a few free games and a free hot dog at the arcade. Now, it is a whole different ballgame.
YouTube phenomenon PewDiePie has a net worth of $30 million, which was made through reacting and commenting on videogames. Faker, a top “League of Legends” player, has made over $5 million through his gaming prowess alone. You do not have to be a professional gamer to make money through eSports though. The industry is helping cultivate jobs in many different fields including graphic design, logistics and supply chain management, business, broadcasting and more. Even if you are not a pro player, you can still be heavily involved in the industry through secondary jobs surrounding the sport.
Is it really growing that quickly?
Yes. In 2019, an estimated 1.57 billion people were aware of the sport. This was up from just 800,000 in 2015. That level of growth is outstanding and is projected to continue to trend upward.
With that awareness comes more viewers and interaction which, in turn, spawns more business opportunities and partnerships. Twitch, the primary streaming platform for eSports, for example, saw over 591,800 average concurrent viewers in 2016. In 2019, that number reached 1.28 million. This means more eyes for advertisers, which means more money for the players, platforms and partners.
The prize pools and tournaments are growing as well. Game companies are creating more content and new games to compete in, while massive companies like Coca-Cola, Intel and Kia are investing heavily in eSport sponsorships. With all of this, videogame companies are going public and beginning to trade on the New York Stock Exchange. Activision-Blizzard shares hit an all-time high in 2018 at $83.19, while companies like Electronic Arts stock jumps directly proportional to basketball, soccer and football each year as they create games like “Madden” and “NBA 2K,” which are modeled after traditional sports. Major names in investing like Gary Vaynerchuck and Mark Cuban are betting on eSports growth in the coming years as well.
Where does Spring Hill College fit in?
As the 176th school in the National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE), the school has launched its program at an opportune time to compete on a collegiate level against other schools in the U.S. and around the world.
A dedicated area on-campus houses high-end gaming computers that will be used for practice and competition. Spring Hill will be competing in “Overwatch,” “League of Legends,” “Rainbow 6 Siege,” “Hearthstone,” “Fortnite” and “Apex Legends” on both a varsity and junior varsity level. There is also a club level for members who want to join but with a more casual approach.
With over 60 members in the program so far, Spring Hill College is looking forward to competitions starting in March 2020.
If you are interested in the program, eSports scholarships or want to learn more, reach out to the head eSports coach, Sam Rand at srand@shc.edu.
If you want to learn more about eSports in general here are some resources to help get you started.
Learn about eSports:
· https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/27/us/esports-what-is-video-game-professional-league-madden-trnd/index.html
Learn about the growth:
· https://influencermarketinghub.com/growth-of-esports-stats/
· https://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/13059210/esports-massive-industry-growing
Learn about the athletes that are investing:
· https://www.alistdaily.com/strategy/these-traditional-sports-players-are-taking-on-esports/
