College esports in the United States explained

College esports in the United States is played by teams of amateur student-athletes at American universities and colleges. In the late 2000s, schools began forming esports clubs to play video games in self-organized collegiate tournaments.^{[1] [2]} The first officially recognized varsity esports program was created at Robert Morris University in 2014.^{[3] [4] [5]}

While there are thousands of schools that participate in collegiate esports competitions, in 2018, there were at least 73 college varsity esports programs, and by 2019 over 130 college varsity programs.^[6] College esports is often viewed as a starting path for gamers that aspire to go professional.

Riot Games Collegiate League of Legends

In 2016, the North American Collegiate Championship (NACC) became the University League of Legends (uLoL) Campus Series, run by CSL, after IvyLoL and NACL stopped functioning and many of their staff were hired as Riot Games employees to orchestrate their collegiate activities.^{[7] [8] [9]} In the Fall of 2017, Riot Games announced that it would rebrand again as College League of Legends and switch official partners from CSL to Battlefy.^[10] In May 2019, Riot Games announced the formation of the Riot Scholastic Association of America (RSAA) as the governing body for collegiate and high school esports for League of Legends.^[11]

Esports Collegiate Conference

The Esports Collegiate Conference was created on June 10, 2020, by member institutions of the Mid-American Conference, to facilitate esports competitions.^[12]

National Association of Collegiate Esports

The National Association of Collegiate Esports, otherwise known as NACE or NAC Esports, was founded in 2016.^[13] As of 2021, its membership includes over 170 colligate organizations.^[14] The organization offers competition in Rocket League, League of Legends, Overwatch, and other titles.^[15]

List of colleges and universities with esports teams

Colleges and universities with esports teams^{[16] [17]}

School	Location
Albion College	Michigan
Albright College^[18]	Pennsylvania
Anderson University (IN)	Indiana
Aquinas College	Michigan
Arcadia University	Pennsylvania
Ashland University	Ohio
Averett University	Virginia
Ball State University	Indiana
Barry University^[19]	Florida
Barton Community College	Kansas
Bellevue University	Nebraska
Bemidji State University	Minnesota
Benedictine University at Mesa	Arizona
Bethel College	Indiana
Boise State University	Idaho
Bowling Green State University^[20]	Ohio
Brescia University	Kentucky
Bryant & Stratton College	Virginia
California State University, East Bay	California
California State University, Dominguez Hills	California
Campbellsville University	Kentucky
Central Methodist University	Missouri
Central Michigan University	Michigan
Centralia College	Washington
Cincinnati Christian University	Ohio
Coker College	South Carolina
College of St. Joseph	Vermont
Colorado College^[21]	Colorado
Columbia College	Missouri
Columbia College	South Carolina
Concordia University (Nebraska)	Nebraska
Concordia University (Texas)	Texas
Cottey College	Missouri
Crowder College	Missouri
Culver-Stockton College	Missouri
Cumberland University	Tennessee
Daemen College	New York
Davenport University	Michigan
Defiance College	Ohio
DeSales University^[22]	Pennsylvania
Dickinson State University	North Dakota
DigiPen Institute of Technology	Washington
Eastern Michigan University	Michigan
ECPI University	Virginia
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University	Arizona
Endicott College	Massachusetts
Fairfield University	Connecticut
Ferris State University	Michigan
Full Sail University	Florida
Fontbonne University	Missouri
Florida Southern College	Florida
Florida State University	Florida
George Fox University	Oregon
George Mason University^[23]	Virginia
Georgia Southern University	Georgia
Georgia State University	Georgia
Grand Valley State University	Michigan
Grand View University	Iowa
Harrisburg University	Pennsylvania
Hawkeye Community College	Iowa
Henderson State University	Arkansas
Illinois College	Illinois
Illinois Wesleyan University	Illinois
Immaculata University^[24]	Pennsylvania
Indiana Institute of Technology	Indiana
Indiana Wesleyan University	Indiana
Juniata College^[25]	Pennsylvania
Kansas Wesleyan University	Kansas
Kean University	New Jersey
Kent State University	Ohio
Kettering University	Michigan
King University	Tennessee
King's College^[26]	Pennsylvania
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania^[27]	Pennsylvania
Lackawanna College	Pennsylvania
Lambton College	Ontario
Lawrence Technological University	Michigan
Lebanon Valley College	Pennsylvania
Lees-McRae College	North Carolina
Lindenwood University	Missouri
Lourdes University	Ohio
Marietta College	Ohio
Maryville University	Missouri
Marywood University^[28]	Pennsylvania
McPherson College	Kansas
McMurry University	Texas
Menlo College	California
Messiah University^[29]	Pennsylvania
Miami University	Ohio
Michigan Technological University	Michigan
Michigan State University	Michigan
Midland University	Nebraska
Midway University	Kentucky
Minnesota State University, Mankato	Minnesota
Missouri Baptist University	Missouri
Missouri Valley College	Missouri
Monroe College^[30]	New York
Mount Aloysius College^[31]	Pennsylvania
Morningside College	Iowa
Neumann University^[32]	Pennsylvania
New Jersey Institute of Technology	New Jersey
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology	New Mexico
New Mexico State University	New Mexico
Niagara University	New York
University of North Alabama	Alabama
Northeastern University	Massachusetts
Northern Essex Community College	Massachusetts
Northern Virginia Community College	Virginia
Northwest Christian University	Oregon
Northwest State Community College^[33]	Ohio
Northwood University	Michigan
Norwich University^[34]	Vermont
Oakland University	Michigan
Ohio University^[35]	Ohio
Ohio Northern University^[36]	Ohio
Oklahoma City University^[37]	Oklahoma
Oregon Institute of Technology	Oregon
Oregon State University	Oregon
Pennsylvania College of Art & Design	Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania College of Technology	Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania State University	Pennsylvania
Point Park University^[38]	Pennsylvania
Pratt Community College	Kansas
Principia College	Illinois
Randolph-Macon College	Virginia
Robert Morris University Illinois	Illinois
Robert Morris University^[39]	Pennsylvania
Rochester Institute of Technology^[40]	New York
Rowan University	New Jersey
Rutgers University	New Jersey
Schreiner University	Texas
Seton Hill University^[41]	Pennsylvania
Shenandoah University	Virginia
Simpson College	Iowa
St. Louis College of Pharmacy	Missouri
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology	South Dakota
Southern Virginia University	Virginia^[42]
Southwestern College	Kansas
Southwest Baptist University	Missouri
St. Ambrose University^[43]	Iowa
St. Clair College	Ontario
St. Cloud State University	Minnesota
St. Francis University^[44]	Pennsylvania
St. John's University (New York City)	New York
St. Mary's University	Texas
St. Thomas Aquinas College	New York
St. Thomas University	Florida
Stephens College	Missouri
Stockton University	New Jersey
Stevenson University	Maryland
SUNY Canton	New York
Sussex County Community College^[45] ^[46]	New Jersey
Temple University	Pennsylvania
Tennessee Technological University	Tennessee
Texas A&M University-San Antonio	Texas
Texas Wesleyan University	Texas
Thomas College	Maine^[47]
Tiffin University	Ohio
Trine University	Indiana
United States Air Force Academy	Colorado
University of Alaska, Anchorage	Alaska
University at Albany	New York
University of Akron	Ohio
University of Arizona	Arizona
University at Buffalo	New York
University of California-Berkeley	California
University of California-Irvine	California
University of Central Oklahoma	Oklahoma
University of Colorado Boulder^[48]	Colorado
University of Delaware	Delaware^[49]
University of Jamestown	North Dakota
University of Kentucky	Kentucky
University of Louisville	Kentucky
University of Maryland, Baltimore County	Maryland
University of Missouri	Missouri
University of Montana	Montana
University of New Haven	Connecticut
University of New Mexico	New Mexico
University of North Dakota	North Dakota
University of North Texas	Texas
University of Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
University of Pikeville	Kentucky
University of Providence	Montana
University of Oregon	Oregon
University of Oklahoma	Oklahoma
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign	Illinois^[50]
University of Southern California	California
University of South Carolina-Sumter	South Carolina
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga^[51]	Tennessee
University of Texas at Dallas	Texas
University of Utah	Utah
University of Washington	Washington
University of Wisconsin-River Falls	Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point^[52]	Wisconsin
Utah Tech University	Utah
Valparaiso University^[53]	Indiana
Wake Forest University	North Carolina
Warner Pacific University^[54]	Oregon
Wartburg College	Iowa
West Virginia University	West Virginia
West Virginia Wesleyan College	West Virginia
Western Kentucky University	Kentucky
Wichita State University	Kansas
Wilkes University^[55]	Pennsylvania
William & Mary	Virginia
Winthrop University	South Carolina
Yavapai College	Arizona
York County Community College^[56]	Maine

External links

• National Association of Collegiate Esports
• Esports Collegiate Conference

Notes and References

1. Web site: Cohen . Patricia . Video Game Becomes Spectator Sport . New York Times . 30 September 2024.
2. Web site: Princeton Students Create StarCraft League . The Escapist . 30 September 2024 . 14 April 2009.
3. Web site: Keilman . John . Robert Morris’ video gamers enter 1st competition . Chicago Tribune . 30 September 2024 . 19 October 2014.
4. Web site: Brunswick . Deborah . Varsity gamers: Making history and dumbfounding parents . CNN.com . 30 September 2024.
5. Web site: Gamers to get college scholarships . ESPN.com . 30 September 2024 . en . 20 June 2014.
6. News: List of varsity esports programs spans North America. ESPN.com. 2018-11-27. en.
7. News: uLoL Campus Series - North America's League of Legends Collegiate League . dotesports.com . 2019-09-25.
8. News: UCI announced LoL scholarship . polygon.com . 2019-09-25.
9. News: Collegiate Starleague partners with Riot to run uLoL Campus Series Tournament . esportsobserver.com . 2019-09-25.
10. News: Riot Games announces new partnership, format for College Season . ESPN.com . 2019-09-25.
11. News: Riot Games establishes governing body for college, high school programs . ESPN.com . 2019-09-25.
12. Web site: Dozen MAC schools create separate conference for esports . RoyalOakTribune.com . 13 June 2020 . en.
13. Book: Grant. August E.. Communication Technology Update and Fundamentals: 16th Edition. Meadows. Jennifer H.. Taylor & Francis. 2018. 9781351334631. 401.
14. Web site: About NAC Esports. 2021-11-03. NAC Esports. en-US.
15. Web site: Staff. S. V. G.. Esports Companies Unite to Form Partnership to Create Largest Collegiate Offering In North America. 2021-11-03. Sports Video Group. en.
16. Web site: Varsity Esports Find Colleges with Esports Teams. 2021-12-15. www.ncsasports.org. en-US.
17. Web site: NAC Esports Members. live. 2021-12-16. members.nacesports.org. https://web.archive.org/web/20200424073155/https://members.nacesports.org/af_memberdirectory.asp . 2020-04-24 .
18. Web site: eSports to be added as Albright varsity sport. October 1, 2018. Albright College. 24 March 2019.
19. Web site: Esports . Barry University Esports . 8 January 2023 . en.
20. Web site: Esports . Bowling Green State University . 13 June 2020 . en.
21. Web site: Esports . Colorado College . 30 March 2022 . en.
22. Web site: Esports . DeSales Athletics . 25 January 2022 . en.
23. Web site: GMU Esports . George Mason University . 6 September 2024 . en.
24. Web site: Esports . gomightymacs.com . 25 January 2022 . en.
25. Web site: Juniata College Esports . Juniata College . 18 September 2021 . en.
26. Web site: Esports . kingscollegeathletics . 25 January 2022 . en.
27. Web site: Esports Club . ENGAGE@KU . 18 September 2021 . en.
28. Web site: Esports at MU. 2021-04-30. MU Esports. en.
29. Web site: ESPORTS AT MESSIAH UNIVERSITY . Messiah University . 25 January 2022 . en.
30. Web site: Monroe College Announces Addition of Esports to Mustangs Athletic Program. 2020-07-28. Monroe College Athletics. en.
31. Web site: Esports at Mount Aloysius College . Mount Aloysius College . 18 September 2021 . en.
32. Web site: Esports . Neumann Athletics . 25 January 2022 . en.
33. Web site: Esports . 2024-08-15 . northweststate.edu.
34. Web site: eSports . 2023-07-10 . Norwich University . en-GB.
35. Web site: Ohio University Esports. 2024-03-28. OHIO Esports. en.
36. Web site: Varsity Esports team coming to ONU in fall 2019. 2021-03-18. Ohio Northern Athletics. en.
37. Web site: Esports at OCU. 2021-04-27. OCU Esports. en.
38. Web site: Esports . Point Park Sports . 25 January 2022 . en.
39. Web site: Esports . Robert Morris University Club Sports . 18 September 2021 . en.
40. Web site: Esports becomes RIT's newest intramural sport . 2022-06-24 . RIT . en.
41. Web site: Esports at Seton Hill . Seton Hill University . 25 January 2022 . en.
42. Web site: Southern Virginia Esports. esports.svu.edu.
43. Web site: Esports - St. Ambrose University . Saint Ambrose University . 18 September 2024 . en.
44. Web site: Esports at SFU . Saint Francis University . 18 September 2021 . en.
45. Web site: Esports to be Added to Sussex Athletics. sussexskylanders.com/sports/esports/.
46. Web site: Sussex Athletics Esports. sussexskylanders.com/sports/esports/.
47. Web site: Thomas College Esports. thomas.edu/esports/.
48. Web site: ATLAS Student Groups:CU Gaming Club. December 1, 2015. tam.colorado.edu/. 1 December 2020.
49. Web site: Esports Student Centers. 2021-08-19. en-US.
50. Web site: Illini Esports. esports.illinois.edu.
51. Web site: Esports University of Tennessee at Chattanooga . 2023-03-09 . www.utc.edu.
52. Web site: UWSP Esports. uwsp.edu/esports.
53. Web site: Esports at Valpo . 2024-05-10 . Esports at Valpo . en-US.
54. Web site: Esports . Warner Pacific University Athletics . 30 September 2024 . en.
55. Web site: Esports Wilkes University . 2024-05-03 . www.wilkes.edu . en.
56. 2022-01-31 . Esports Begins at York County Community College . York County Community College . en.